The U.S. military\u2019s cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid has risen to $320 million, a U.S. defense official and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
\nThe figure, which has not been previously reported, illustrates the massive scale of a construction effort that the Pentagon has said involves about 1,000 U.S. service members, mostly from the Army and Navy.
\nStill, the cost has roughly doubled from initial estimates earlier this year, according to a person familiar with the matter.
\n\u201cThe cost has not just risen. It has exploded,\u201d Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Democratic-led Senate Armed Services Committee, told Reuters, when asked about the costs.
\n\u201cThis dangerous effort with marginal benefit will now cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days.\u201d
\nDemocratic President Joe Biden announced the pier in March as aid officials implored Israel to ease access for relief supplies into Gaza over land routes. By opening a second route for aid, this one by sea, Biden administration officials hope to avert famine in northern Gaza.
\nIsrael\u2019s military campaign against Hamas, in response to Hamas\u2019 attack on Israel on Oct. 7, has devastated the tiny Gaza Strip and plunged its 2.3 million people into a humanitarian catastrophe.
\nStill, Wicker and some other lawmakers have questioned whether the pier is a worthwhile endeavor, particularly given the risk that U.S. military personnel could become targets of Hamas militants.
\n\u201cHow much will taxpayers be on the hook once \u2013 or if \u2013 the pier is finally constructed?\u201d Wicker asked.
\n\u201cFor every day this mission continues, the price tag goes up and so does the level of risk for the 1,000 deployed troops within range of Hamas\u2019 rockets.\u201d
\nConcerns about the threat to American troops getting caught up in the Israel-Hamas war were underscored on Thursday as news emerged of a mortar attack near the area where the pier will eventually touch ground. No U.S. forces were present, however, and they were miles off shore \u2014 beyond mortar range.
\nBiden has ordered U.S. forces to not step foot on the Gaza shore.
\nThe pier will initially handle 90 trucks a day, but that number could go up to 150 trucks daily when it is fully operational. The United Nations said last week that the daily average number of trucks entering Gaza during April was 200 and that there had been a peak on Monday of 316.
\nA senior Biden administration official said last week that humanitarian aid coming off the pier will need to pass through Israeli checkpoints on land.
\nThat is despite the aid having already been inspected by Israel in Cyprus before being shipped to Gaza. Israel wants to prevent any aid getting to Hamas fighters that boosts their war effort.
\nThe prospect of checkpoints raises questions about possible delays even after aid reaches shore. The United Nations has long complained of obstacles to getting aid in and distributing it throughout Gaza.
\nThe United Nations has appealed for $2.5 billion to try and meet the most urgent needs of the people living in the Gaza Strip between April and December.
\n(Reuters)pier. construction effort, humanitarian aid, Gaza Strip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The U.S. military’s cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza for humanitarian aid delivery has risen to 0 million, involving about 1,000 U.S. service members. Senator Roger Wicker expressed concerns about the high cost and potential risks for troops. Israel’s military campaign in response to Hamas’ attack has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Biden has ordered U.S. forces to stay off the Gaza shore, and aid will need to pass through Israeli checkpoints on land. The United Nations has appealed for .5 billion to meet urgent needs in Gaza.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":10091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1521,6552,122,1478,652,383,6497,492,3397,1221,8242,5702,2577,1625,8344,2511,5255,3,2852,1978,145,895,298,3272,4407,1235,399,3674,964,299,756,2121,7776,3504,714,3331,1237,4843,1670,5838,1022,8257,4054,6735,3260,4441,1806,7191,1846,618,114,965,1759,380,293,18],"class_list":["post-10090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other","tag-1521","tag-access","tag-aid","tag-aid-delivery","tag-army","tag-attack","tag-benefit","tag-biden","tag-biden-administration","tag-campaign","tag-checkpoints","tag-committee","tag-concerns","tag-construction","tag-construction-effort","tag-costs","tag-crisis","tag-cyprus","tag-delays","tag-famine","tag-gaza","tag-gaza-strip","tag-hamas","tag-hamas-militants","tag-hope","tag-humanitarian","tag-humanitarian-aid","tag-humanitarian-catastrophe","tag-humanitarian-crisis","tag-israel","tag-joe-biden","tag-land","tag-march","tag-military","tag-navy","tag-news","tag-pier","tag-president","tag-president-joe-biden","tag-price","tag-republican","tag-response","tag-risk","tag-rockets","tag-sea","tag-service","tag-services","tag-taxpayers","tag-threat","tag-top","tag-top-news","tag-trucks","tag-united-nations","tag-us","tag-war","tag-world"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n