U.S. Navy, Army ships building floating pier for Gaza aid. Pentagon estimates cost at $320 million
Source: PBS News Hour/AP
Apr 29, 2024 2:49 PM EDT
JERUSALEM (AP) — A U.S. Navy ship and several Army vessels involved in an American-led effort to bring more aid into the besieged Gaza Strip are offshore of the enclave and building out a floating platform for the operation, which the Pentagon said Monday will cost at least $320 million.
Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters the cost is a rough estimate for the project and includes the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the U.S. to the Gaza coast, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations.
Satellite photos analyzed Monday by The Associated Press show the USNS Roy P. Benavidez about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the port on shore, where the base of operations for the project is being built by the Israeli military. The USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr., an Army logistics vessel, and several other Army boats are with the Benavidez and working on the construction of what the military calls the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, system.
A satellite image from Sunday by Planet Labs PBC showed pieces of the floating pier in the Mediterranean Sea alongside the Benavidez. Measurements of the vessel match known features of the Benavidez, a Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo ship operated by the Military Sealift Command.
Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-navy-army-ships-building-floating-pier-for-gaza-aid-pentagon-estimates-cost-at-320-million
