The US military announced the completion of its mission to install and operate a temporary floating pier off the coast of Gaza, Reuters reported.

Aid groups have criticized the pier, valued at USD 320 million, as insufficient for addressing the severe needs of Palestinians in Gaza, who are suffering from a "man-made famine" imposed by “Israel”. 

Since early May, all entry ports to Gaza have been closed, with “Israel” cutting off food and water supplies in October, effectively threatening starvation for civilians.

Despite some aid reaching Gaza from Cyprus via the pier, it was operational for only about 20 days. 

"The maritime surge mission involving the pier is complete. So there’s no more need to use the pier," Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of US Central Command (USCENTCOM), stated at a news briefing. 

Cooper mentioned that aid distribution efforts would now shift to the established port of Ashdod in “Israel”, with at least 5 million pounds of aid en route from Cyprus to Ashdod.

“Our assessment is that the temporary pier has achieved its intended effect to surge a very high volume of aid into Gaza and ensure that aid reaches the civilians in Gaza in a quick manner,” Cooper said, noting that nearly 20 million pounds of aid were delivered via the pier.

Critics, however, argue that the pier primarily served to support “Israel’s” aggression in Gaza. 

There are suspicions that it was used to smuggle special forces ahead of the Nuseirat Massacre on June 8, where 300 Palestinians were killed during an operation to release four “Israeli” prisoners of war.

The project has sparked controversy in Congress, with Republicans labeling it a political stunt by President Biden, who faced pressure from fellow Democrats to provide more aid to Palestinians after months of supporting “Israel”. 

“This chapter might be over in President Biden’s mind, but the national embarrassment that this project has caused is not. The only miracle is that this doomed-from-the-start operation did not cost any American lives,” said Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The pier has been unused since June when it was moved to Ashdod due to rough seas. It remains unclear whether the US military has begun dismantling the pier at Ashdod before its anticipated return to the US.

The World Food Program (WFP) paused operations at the pier in June due to security concerns, causing aid to accumulate on Gaza’s shore. 

The UN consistently stated that maritime deliveries cannot replace land access and emphasized that land routes should remain the primary focus for aid operations in Gaza, where there is a high risk of famine, according to a global hunger monitor last month.

Aid officials estimate that Gaza requires approximately 600 trucks of humanitarian and commercial supplies daily to meet the needs of its population.