Construction of Gaza jetty for humanitarian aid seen in satellite images

Construction of a makeshift jetty on the Gaza coastline can be seen in new satellite images as the Hamas-controlled territory awaits a temporary port that President Biden said the U.S. military will build to help ferry humanitarian aid to the devastated Palestinian population.

The satellite images taken by Maxar show that construction on a jetty began on Sunday just south of Gaza City along the Al Rashid highway. The jetty, which currently extends approximately 164 feet (50 meters) from the shoreline, will reportedly receive an aid shipment from Cyprus.

The charity World Central Kitchen said it is building the jetty to offload a shipment of almost 200 tons of food for Palestinians in need. The food is currently on a ship en route from Larnaca, Cyprus, the charity wrote on social media on Tuesday.

The construction comes as Gaza awaits a temporary port that Biden announced during his State of the Union address last week in the hope of carving out a sea route for food and other aid. The Pentagon has said the construction of a massive floating pier will take weeks and require as many as 1,000 U.S. troops.

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In this March 11 image, construction has already begun on the jetty on the Gaza coastline. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.)

Other world leaders have also stated their concern over how to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.  

In this March 12 image, construction on the makeshift jetty continues south of Gaza City. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the floating pier is "expected to be completed in two months."

In this March 13 image, construction of the jetty extends into the sea. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.)

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"What shall we do during those two months? Shall more children continue to die until this port is constructed," he asked during a joint press conference with his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, in Cairo.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and other countries have also been airdropping food into northern Gaza in recent weeks to help alleviate the situation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.