The US Army Gaza Pier was repaired and reconnected to the beach

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the US Army temporary dock The deputy commander of US Central Command said on Friday that the ship was repaired off the coast of Gaza and reattached to shore on Friday morning, after it broke up and suffered damage in rough seas last week.

“I am very pleased to announce that earlier this morning, in Gaza, US forces successfully attached the temporary pier to the Gaza beach. IDF engineers provided all necessary support to ensure the safe placement of the pier on the beach,” Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told reporters on Friday. “The policy of no American forces on the ground remains in effect. We expect the resumption of deliveries of humanitarian aid from the sea in the coming days.

Earlier on Friday, a US defense official said that the dock, which was established by the US military to transport aid to Gaza, was expected to resume operations on Friday with aid distribution resuming the next day, assuming all goes as planned.

“We expect our target to be £500,000 onshore initially and then increase that shortly thereafter,” Cooper added.

A USAID spokesperson said on Friday that the agency “remains in close contact with our colleagues from across the US government and humanitarian partners on the ground to ensure that aid to movement can resume safely and effectively, which we expect in the coming days.”

The pier collapsed and was damaged by heavy waves last week in a major blow to US-led efforts to establish a sea corridor for humanitarian supplies to the war-torn enclave.

the The sidewalk is the result After months of work by US officials trying to figure out a way to get aid into Gaza, in addition to dropping it from planes or transporting it by truck through border checkpoints. Although it has only been operational for about a week, the dock has helped deliver about 1,000 pieces of aid to Gaza. Metric tons of aid to Gaza before it disintegrates.

The temporary dock, called Joint Logistics Overshore (JLOTS), requires very good sea conditions for its operation. It was expected to cost about $320 million and was only commissioned on May 17. Officials have since said the cost is now approaching $230 million.

Cooper stressed Friday that the damage to the pier was caused “solely by unpredictable weather,” and that the Army will continue to monitor the weather closely in the future.

The JLOTS system consists of two parts: the floating dock where the shipments will be unloaded and the bridge to transport the shipments to the distribution point in Gaza.

Last week’s damage came next Big obstacles On distribution routes including Hamas drones and looting that delayed deliveries. As a result, the US military had to help USAID come up with alternative, safer routes for trucks leaving the beach assembly area near the pier and traveling to the warehouses.

Before that, the United States had faced A number of challenges and the dock, including planning for Israeli operations in Rafah; Determine who will transport aid from the dock to Gaza; And logistical challenges such as sea and weather conditions.

The construction of the pier comes in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and the rising death toll due to Israeli bombing. In Gaza, the entire population faces food insecurity.

Cooper said on Friday that the United States had conducted a number of humanitarian airdrops into Gaza in partnership with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, although they were suspended in recent weeks due to military operations in northern Gaza. He added that airdrop operations are expected to resume “in the coming days.”

A USAID spokesperson said the sea corridor is “just one of several entry points for life-saving aid arriving in Gaza, including vital land crossings.”

“We continue to press for all entry points into Gaza to remain predictably operational at maximum capacity, and to improve internal access so aid can reach the people who need it most,” the spokesperson said.

Besides food, Chris Mewett, deputy assistant secretary of defense for global partnerships, told reporters Friday that there are other forms of aid being delivered via dock.

“I think everyone realizes that food is just one component — shelter, medical care, etc.,” Moyet said.

US officials previously told CNN that the US military was present It will likely work The dock will last for at least three months, but the ultimate goal is to turn it into a full-time commercial operation that can be used by other countries and NGOs.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Shania Shelton, Jennifer Hansler, Oren Lieberman, Alex Marquardt, Hailey Britsky, Kylie Atwood, Michael Conti and Helen Regan contributed to this report.