Pentagon Downplays Impact of ‘Mortar Attack’ on Pier Under Construction for Gaza Aid

Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, on July 6, 2023. Alex Brandon/AP Photo

The Pentagon has downplayed the impact of an alleged “attack” on a maritime pier that is currently being constructed by the United States off the coast of Gaza to help bring aid into the famine-stricken area.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said officials are currently tracking what appeared to be “some type of mortar attack” that had caused “minimal damage in the vicinity of the marshaling yard area” that will be used in conjunction with the pier.

The alleged attack happened on Wednesday while U.S. ships involved in the construction of the pier were far away from shore, he noted. No one was injured, he said.

While Maj. Gen. Ryder initially referred to the incident as an “attack” he later clarified that “a small number of mortars landed in the vicinity of the marshaling yard area for humanitarian assistance” that will eventually serve as the delivery site that the pier will support.

“It’s important also to highlight that this occurred before any U.S. forces, you know, have started moving anything,” he said.

The Pentagon spokesman also stressed that no U.S. forces will be on the ground in Gaza once the pier is up and running, which will likely happen by early May.

Maj. Gen. Ryder did not elaborate further on the alleged attack, including who may have been behind the incident; instead, he referred reporters’ questions to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

IDF Says ‘Terrorist Organizations’ Behind ‘Attack’

In a statement to the Times of Israel, the IDF referred to the incident as a “terror attack,” although no terrorist group has claimed responsibility.

They further claimed the incident took place as United Nations officials were touring the site with Israeli troops, forcing the U.N. officials to rush to a shelter for safety.

“The terrorist organizations continue to systematically harm humanitarian efforts while risking the lives of UN workers, while Israel allows the supply of aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.

The Epoch Times has contacted the U.N. for further comment.

President Joe Biden announced the floating U.S. Army pier during his State of the Union address in March as officials warned of the rising humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which was previously home to a population of more than 2 million people before Israel began its military campaign against Hamas.

According to the Pentagon, the approximately 1,800-foot causeway will be comprised of modular sections linked together, which is known as a Trident Pier.

It will also feature a 72-foot wide by 270-foot long roll-on, roll-off discharge facility, which will remain roughly three miles off the shore of Gaza and allow cargo ships to offload aid shipments at sea before they are transported to shore.

The floating pier will initially facilitate the delivery of an estimated 90 truckloads of international aid into Gaza and scale to up to 150 truckloads once fully operational, officials said.

Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of food supplies in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 5, 2024. Mohammed Salem/Reuters

‘Ill-Conceived Mission From the Start’

Israeli forces are supporting the construction, according to the Pentagon.

“The effort to deliver humanitarian assistance from the sea is fully supported by the Israeli Defense Force with whom we have been and will continue to work very closely [with] — from fixing the JLOTS pier to the shore to providing force protection,” a senior defense official said in a statement on Thursday. “This effort is fully integrated with the IDF.”

However, the pier has faced criticism from some Republican lawmakers in the United States, including Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Wicker said the alleged attack on the marshaling yard area of the pier was “unfortunate but predictable.”

“This has been an ill-conceived mission from the start,” Mr. Wicker said. “In any case, the risk to Americans will only intensify. President Biden should never have put our men and women in this position, and he should abandon this project immediately before any U.S. troops are injured.”

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Maj. Gen. Ryder said U.S. military vessels stationed offshore, including the USNS Benavidez, have already started the initial stages of construction of the temporary pier and causeway at sea.

The latest incident “in no way delays our efforts to establish the maritime corridor,” he said.