From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Top Biden aide defends beleaguered Gaza aid pier as it’s set to be dismantled
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan downplays the pending closure of the temporary US pier established off the coast of Gaza for delivering humanitarian aid via the Mediterranean Sea.
Sullivan tells reporters that the issue now is not about getting more aid into Gaza but distributing aid throughout the Strip, indicating that other crossings still open are sufficient.
He says the US is working on addressing distribution problems spurred by lawlessness and chaos in Gaza.
Unable to withstand weather conditions, the pier has had to be taken down several times since being established in May.
While the project cost over $230 million and had limited success over less than three months in operation, Sullivan says it provided a net gain in the amount of aid delivered to Gaza, indicating that he still thought it was worthwhile.
