[Text/Observer Liu Chenghui] Just a week after the completion, the temporary wharf in Gaza built by the US military with 320 million dollars had an accident.

Israel Channel 12 reported on May 25 that under the impact of strong wind and waves, some structures of this temporary wharf fell off and drifted into the sea that day, and the US military personnel then dragged it back and re fixed it.

The social media account X also revealed that, even more embarrassing, a US Navy ship was accidentally stranded on the beach when it was towed back to the structure.

On May 24, Reuters quoted US officials as saying that three US military personnel suffered "non combat injuries" during the construction of the temporary dock, and one of them was in critical condition and was being treated in an Israeli hospital. This is the first time that US troops have been injured in the construction of temporary docks.

Brad Cooper, deputy commander of the US Central Command, told reporters that two soldiers suffered "very minor routine injuries" - ankle sprains and back injuries. "Those people have returned to their posts."

He said that the third soldier was injured on a ship at sea and had been sent to an Israeli hospital for treatment. A US defense official who did not want to be named said that this person was in critical condition.

Lebanon's Al Mayadeen television station reported that the weather conditions posed a major challenge to the operation of the temporary wharf, and the choppy sea in the Mediterranean posed a threat to the integrity and safety of the wharf.

In March this year, President Biden of the United States announced the construction of a temporary floating dock in Gaza to deliver humanitarian relief supplies. It is estimated that $320 million will be spent in the 90 day construction cycle, with about 1000 US troops involved. On May 17, the wharf was completed and put into use.

On April 25, US military personnel assembled a temporary wharf along the Mediterranean coast of Gaza/Reuters

According to the statement issued by the Pentagon on the 23rd, in the first week of operation, only about 820 tons of aid materials were delivered through the terminal, of which only about two-thirds arrived at the receiving points in Gaza. The total amount of related materials was only equivalent to the freight volume of 71 trucks, accounting for only 15% of the daily minimum demand of more than 2 million people facing serious hunger threats in Gaza.

On May 17, Jens Laerke, spokesman of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters in Geneva: "We welcome the provision of aid to Gaza through all channels. But the floating dock can only be used as a supplement, and cannot change the fact that land routes are more important."

Lark stressed that to provide assistance to people in need in Gaza and around the world, we cannot and should not rely on a floating dock. The land channel is the most feasible and efficient way to deliver aid, which is why the United Nations calls for the opening of all ports.

The Rafah crossing, which borders Egypt, is the main entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza, but has been closed since May 7.

On May 24, the United Nations International Court of Justice issued a new order instructing Israel to take temporary measures to immediately stop its military operations in Rafah, southern Gaza, and to open Rafah port to provide emergency assistance to prevent the disastrous humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip from further deteriorating.