NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — It's still full speed ahead for the specialized Army unit tasked with establishing a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver critical humanitarian assistance.
The Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) initiative is set to begin operations in a few weeks, according to the Pentagon.
Troops from the Ft. Eustis-based 7th Transportation Brigade began the weeks-long transit to Israel on March 12.
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The plan is to employ JLOTS capability to construct an approximately 1,800-foot causeway to enable the flow of critical aid from the sea to civilians affected by the Israel-Hamas war and Gaza conflict.
Once operational, the pier will be capable of delivering up to 2 million humanitarian aid meals per day.
The Department of Defense (DoD) says the botched Israeli-launched World Central Kitchen convoy strike that killed seven aid workers last week has not altered the JLOTS plans.
"The short answer is we continue to plan apace. We're not changing the mission. We've been tasked to provide a temporary pier. Everything is on track, on schedule at this point," said Major General Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary. "We are expecting JLOTS to be online by the end of the month, early May on schedule."
Ryder says the DOD has confidence that the Israeli government will protect U.S. personnel.
"We trust that Israel will provide the security that we need on the shore," he said.
The Army says JLOTS was last used operationally to deliver humanitarian assistance following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010.