Royal Navy ship joins international effort to build pier for Gaza aid

A Royal Navy ship is joining the international effort to construct a temporary pier intended to help ease the humanitarian crisis brought by Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

The RFA Cardigan Bay is sailing from Cyprus to provide floating accommodation for hundreds of US sailors and soldiers working to build the pier, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday.

The US military has started construction at sea of the temporary pier, with the aim of expanding the flow of vital humanitarian assistance into the war-torn enclave from early May.

Aid pre-screened in Cyprus will be shipped to Gaza via the multi-national maritime corridor initiative.

The pier will initially facilitate the delivery of an estimated 90 truckloads into Gaza, and then 150 truckloads once fully operational.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “It is critical we establish more routes for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza and the UK continues to take a leading role in the delivery of support in coordination with the US and our international allies and partners.

“The crew of RFA Cardigan Bay are central to the UK’s contribution to the multi-national plan to greatly expand the flow of aid into Gaza.

“This will complement the priority of getting more aid in via land routes and Ashdod port in Israel, by enabling tens of thousands of tonnes to be delivered directly from the sea onto the beach.”

President Joe Biden announced in March that the US military would build the temporary pier and causeway as an alternative to land routes.

Israel has been the subject of international criticism for failing to let enough aid across its land borders, though it has promised to open more crossings, including its port in Ashdod to process aid shipments bound for Gaza.

The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed 1,200 people and saw another 250 being taken hostage.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,300 people, according to the local health ministry, and swathes of the population are on the brink of starvation.