"The vessels broke free from their moorings and two vessels are now anchored on the beach near the pier. The third and fourth vessels are beached on the coast of Israel near Ashkelon," the statement said.
"No US personnel will enter Gaza. No injuries have been reported and the pier remains fully functional," it continued, adding that the Israeli navy is assisting with recovering the vessels.
Gaza is suffering through its bloodiest ever war, which broke out after Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,800 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
Israel has imposed a siege on Gaza that has deprived the territory's 2.4 million people of most clean water, food, medicines and fuel.
US President Joe Biden had said in March the pier would be built to alleviate restrictions imposed by Israel on aid delivery by land to Gaza.
The UN World Food Programme "took possession of 97 trucks since the floating dock came into operation" on May 17, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres, told reporters on Friday.
In the first few days of deliveries, desperate people made off with the contents of some trucks heading to warehouses, but the situation has now stabilized, he said.
CENTCOM said 1,005 metric tons of aid had been delivered from the sea to the beach transfer point as of Friday, with 903 metric tons distributed from the transfer point to the UN warehouse.
Heavy seas disrupt Gaza pier aid operations
Washington DC (UPI) May 25, 2024 -
Stormy seas caused four U.S. Army vessels to break loose of their moorings while trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza Saturday morning.
Two vessels are beached along Israel's coast near Ashkelon while the other two are anchored on the beach near the temporary pier built and put in place by the U.S. military, U.S.Central Command announced Saturday.
No U.S. personnel were injured by the stormy seas, and none will enter Gaza, CENTCOM said.
Israel Defense Forces are assisting in recovering the vessels, and the pier remains fully functional.
The brief disruption is one of many affecting operations at the temporary pier, whose deployment was delayed until last week due to stormy seas and other causes.
About 1.2 million pounds aid have arrived at the pier, about two-thirds of which the United Nations has distributed to Gazans, the U.S. Department of Defense officials said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a phone call on Friday told President Joe Biden Egypt would resume truck deliveries of humanitarian aid into Gaza and allow aid to flow through Kerem Shalom.
The World Food Programme estimates about 1.1. million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are suffering due to a lack of food.
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