WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has finished construction of a temporary pier and causeway that will be used to deliver aid to Gaza through a maritime system, but plans to move it into place on the shore are on hold due to weather and other logistics.
Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters on Tuesday that U.S. military ships and the assembled pier are at Israel’s Ashdod port. High winds and sea swells are making it too dangerous for the U.S. military to install the pier at the Gaza beach.
Singh says the U.S. hopes to install the pier and causeway later this week, if the weather permits.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is being loaded onto a large container ship, the Sagamore, in Cyprus, for eventual delivery to Gaza, Singh said.
The U.S. hopes the pier can be used to bring more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the U.N. says there is a full-blown famine in the north.
Meanwhile, a White House spokesman on Tuesday expressed guarded optimism that Israel and Hamas “should be able to close the remaining gaps” to complete an agreement that would lead to release of hostages and pave the way for an extended truce in the seven-month war in Gaza.
“It’s based on our understanding of where the text is right now,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said of the administration’s optimism. “Again, Hamas responded yesterday and there were amendments offered. Again, that’s the task of negotiating. That’s what negotiations are all about. It’s our understanding from looking at the text that we feel it suggests that we should be able to close these gaps.”
Talks are to continue on Tuesday in Cairo. Kirby declined to put a timeline on when Americans officials believe a deal can be sealed.
“Everybody’s coming. Qatar is coming. The Israelis are coming. Obviously, the Egyptians will be there of course, and Bill Burns will be there,” Kirby said. “That’s not insignificant. Everybody is coming to the table.”