Israel says building of Gaza aid pier has begun

JERUSALEM -- Israel's army announced on Thursday that the construction of a floating pier off Gaza's seashore has begun, intending to deliver desperately needed aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The so-called Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore initiative, led by the United States Central Command, would create a temporary floating pier to deliver humanitarian aid from the sea into Gaza, the Israeli military said in a statement.

The Israeli forces would provide "security and logistics support" for the initiative, which according to the military will "create an enhanced ship-to-shore distribution system to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza."

The US Pentagon also confirmed the commencement of the construction. "I can confirm that US military vessels have begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea," Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder told journalists in Washington.

Israel, which has placed an air, land and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, has insisted that the pier will be temporary and not a permanent facility.