U.S. ship departs Virginia to aid in Gaza pier construction

March 21 (UPI) -- An American ship departed Virginia Thursday to support construction of a temporary pier to support the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The MV Roy P. Benavidez departed its berth in Newport News, Va., Thursday loaded with heavy equipment and materials needed for the U.S. Army-led humanitarian project. The ship will deliver the components to the Army's 7th Transportation Brigade, which will construct the pier in the Mediterranean Sea.

Army officials call this capability Joint Logistics-Over-the-Shore (JLOTS).

"JLOTS is a critical capability that allows ship-to-shore cargo distribution in the absence of a usable pier," Lt. Gen. John Sullivan, deputy commander, U.S. Transportation Command said in a statement.

"It can be used to augment an established port or to create a pier where one is needed and allows us to support areas where large populations are isolated from food, water and other forms of humanitarian aid."

The Benavidez, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Fleet, will support four Army vessels with the 7th Transportation Brigade, which departed the United States in support of the mission earlier this month.

Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder has said the pier will be fully operational within 60 days of when President Joe Biden announced the project during his State of the Union address.

Biden, during his address, also emphasized that "Israel must also do its part."

"Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren't caught in the crossfire," he said.

Biden is under increased pressure from his own party to distance himself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

The United States continues to airdrop aid into Palestine. Since March 2, U.S. Central Command has delivered more than 204,000 meals, 48,000 bottles of water and more than 5,000 pounds of food items, Ryder said.

Before becoming a part of the Ready Reserve Fleet, the MV Roy P. Benavidez was a Bob Hope-class roll-on, roll-off cargo ship used by the U.S. Navy.