Rhino: Agencies – A floating pier in Gaza is expected to resume operations on Thursday to unload much-needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the pier was reconnected to shore on Wednesday after being temporarily disconnected last Friday due to poor sea conditions.

Aid began arriving via the US-built pier on May 17, and the UN said it had transferred 137 truckloads of aid to warehouses, equivalent to about 900 tons.

But then raging waves destroyed the pier, forcing repairs, and bad weather and security considerations limited the number of days it was operational.

In March, US President Joe Biden announced a plan for a pier to deliver aid as famine loomed in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, during a war between Israel and Palestinian militants.

The US military estimates that the pier will cost more than $200 million over the first 90 days and will employ about 1,000 service members.