Pentagon Gives Gaza Aid Pier Updates: We Don't 'Have A Date Of When The Pier Would Be Reinstalled'

6/29/2024

On Friday, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh answered reporter questions on the Gaza aid pier.

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00:00I wouldn't say that's correct in terms of the backlog of shipments. There is a

00:05there is a need for more aid. I think what you're referring to is in Cyprus. We

00:11do need more aid to come into Cyprus. We are pretty close to full on the

00:16marshland yard in terms of how much aid is there. As I mentioned in at the top

00:22this pier has provided you know the second amount most volume of aid over

00:29you know all the other crossings in Gaza. So we've certainly seen its

00:32capability. We've seen the importance of what it can do. As high sea states are

00:38impacting the operability of the pier that's why it's being removed. When the

00:42commander decides that it is the right time to reinstall that pier we'll keep

00:46you updated on that. As of right now the intention is to continue to get aid into

00:53Gaza by any means necessary. That includes the pier, air drops and of

00:58course as we've always said with the pier it is meant to be temporary. It is

01:03not the long-term solution or solve for land routes. We know that's the most

01:07effective way in but that's really a decision that the commander will make as

01:11we continue to evaluate the high sea states. But I don't have a date of when

01:15the the pier would be reinstalled. You don't have a date? I don't right now.

01:19The commander will continue to assess the sea states over the weekend that

01:23could lead into next week. So we're gonna continue to monitor the

01:27environmental and weather factors and once we have a better update we'll

01:30we'll certainly provide that.

01:31So on a separate subject, the disintegration of this Russian satellite, is there any indication that that satellite came apart as a result of some kind of Russian anti-satellite test?

01:49As of right now we're still evaluating why this satellite came apart.

01:54Satellite breakups can result from a variety of different cases but right now

01:58we just don't have an assessment of what broke this one apart which I believe

02:04happened on June 26. Okay, Tara?

02:07Thanks Sabrina. Back to the pier, the marshaling yard is almost full and it doesn't seem like any delivery trucks are going to take that aid.

02:17So would putting the pier back in place be contingent upon there actually being

02:22room to put more aid? Because how could you move aid if you don't have anywhere to put it?

02:26Yes, of course. If there's not enough room on the marshaling yard then it doesn't make sense to put our men and women out there when there's nothing to move.

02:36There is still room. I don't want to give the impression that it's at capacity. It is certainly full.

02:43But we do need to see that marshaling yard open up to allow for aid groups to continue that

02:51distribution so that we can get more aid in as we get it from Cyprus.

02:55So is there anything that the U.S. can do to help get that aid moving out of the marshaling yard?

03:01So that's something that we've we've been having ongoing conversations with the WFP and by we I

03:07should say the larger broader we. It's an interagency effort that's really being spearheaded by USAID.

03:14So for more updates on those conversations I'd refer you to them to speak to how those

03:20conversations are going with WFP. But we all know that this is a priority. We want to see

03:24distribution picked back up. We want to see aid delivered to the people that need it most.

03:30We certainly know and understand and are monitoring the dire humanitarian situation

03:35on the ground. So we certainly want to see that distribution back up.

03:38The coordination cell of the U.S. has a role in to help with the convoys. What what's going on there

03:44as far as how U.S. officials U.S. military officials are working with IDF to maybe try

03:50and streamline communications between the IDF and the aid groups?

03:53Well that's part of what the deconfliction cells do. Both we have one in Cyprus and one in Israel.

03:58They are there to help with the distribution of aid. It's more how groups, NGOs, WFP also plugs

04:05into that. I don't want to speak on behalf of those groups and USAID in particular. But right

04:12now there is good communication between our military personnel in those deconfliction cells

04:17and the IDF. Phil.

04:20Hey, so just to clarify really quick and then I have a question. So is the marshaling area full

04:24or not?

04:25I wouldn't say it's at capacity. There's still some room there. But it's it's it's I would say

04:31majority is pretty full right now.

04:34And then secondly, in yesterday's

Pentagon Gives Gaza Aid Pier Updates: We Don't 'Have A Date Of When The Pier Would Be Reinstalled'

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