Pentagon watchdog launches probe into struggling Gaza aid pier

The Defense Department’s watchdog has launched an oversight review of the military’s efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza through a maritime corridor, which relies on a pier that has struggled to stay operational because of poor weather.

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Pentagon initiated the review along with the OIG for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), saying they would review “key aspects” of the humanitarian aid mission and the effectiveness of the U.S. military’s humanitarian aid efforts.

The review will be conducted in phases, with the first examining the Pentagon’s responsibilities and management of the project and the second looking at implementation.

Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement he was working closely with the USAID OIG to “address the challenges associated with this mission.”

“Through our collaboration, we will leverage the unique expertise, resources, and capabilities of our teams to optimize our oversight in this important area,” Storch said.

The pier was first set up in late May, but for the first month after it came online, it was operational for about 10 days, with rough seas and high winds tearing off the causeway and forcing a repair and in another incident bad weather pushed the military to remove it for safety earlier this month.

When it has been operational, the $230 million pier has been a crucial corridor, along with land crossings, to get humanitarian aid into Gaza, where Palestinians are struggling to access basic necessities amid Israel’s war with Hamas.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters this week the U.S. has moved 13.6 million pounds of assistance through the pier.

The pier works by shipping aid over from the island nation of Cyprus and to a floating dock a few miles offshore from Gaza. U.S. military boats then transport the goods to the pier and help get it to the shore with the assistance of the United Nations and relief groups, without American boots touching the ground.

Along with the military, USAID also plays a crucial role in the effort through coordinating the humanitarian assistance with the U.N. and other groups.

The USAID watchdog will also take a phased approach to the oversight review and will look at the handover of the military’s aid to the U.N. and humanitarian aid workers.

“This initial review, in coordination with DoD OIG, will provide timely insight and transparency over the delivery of assistance via the maritime corridor,” said USAID Inspector General Paul Martin in a statement.