The temporary pier that was announced by President Joe Biden in March, during his State of The Union speech, was meant to bring a limited amount of aid into the Gaza Strip but has been dealt another setback as operations have been “paused,” yet again. The pier was operational for three days after repairs.
Cindy McCain, the Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), said in a June 9th,2024 CBS Face the Nation interview, “Right now we’re paused because I’m concerned about the safety of our people after the incidents yesterday,” talking about Operation Arnon, the Israeli Hostage rescue, that freed four hostages Hamas kidnapped on October 7, 2023. She also mentioned that operations were still ongoing elsewhere, adding, “So we’ve stepped back just for the moment to make sure that we’re in on safe terms and on safe ground before we’ll restart.”
The WFP said in a post on X that “Temporarily pausing operations at the floating dock for a UN security assessment to ensure staff and partners’ safety.”
The World Food Program also claimed that two WFP warehouses had been “rocketed and a staffer was injured.”
The United Nations reportedly confirmed what the World Food Program had stated, saying “temporarily pausing operations at the floating dock until a thorough assessment of the security situation is conducted to ensure the safety of our staff and our partners.”
According to Fox News Digital, the Pentagon spokesperson has stated that the pier is still operational and that 1,573 metric tons have been delivered from the pier while also saying that no U.S. personnel are operating in the Gaza Strip.
Cindy McCain also noted “That’s why a cease-fire is necessary. That’s why we need to stop this,” so that aid from her program and other organizations can flow into Gaza “at scale.”
The United Nations did not indicate how long the pause would last, nor did a spokesperson for the WFP respond to Fox journalist’s request for more details.
