By Al-Fassel | 2024-06-17

The temporary pier built and operated by the US military has been beset with a wave of disinformation efforts by adversaries who aim to discredit the humanitarian operation.

At the same time, misinformation about the temporary pier has also been rampant, worsening an already bleak humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged enclave.

One of the most prevalent themes of the active disinformation campaigns relates to how the pier is allegedly a cover for joint US-Israeli military operations.

The real goal of the pier, certain actors on social media allege, is aimed at displacing the people of Gaza.

These narratives were fueled by videos of Israeli helicopters landing near the pier.

The United States has continued to stress that no US military personnel are going ashore in Gaza and that the pier is purely there for humanitarian reasons.

"The temporary pier on the coast of Gaza was put in place for one purpose only: to help move additional urgently-needed lifesaving assistance to Gaza," Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said June 10.

US military officials say this message is important to get across amid the flurry of false or misleading information spread on social media and by certain news sites.

Other rumors allege that the food supplies are poisoned or contain spying devices.

These rumors are categorically untrue, US military officials told Al-Fassel.

Despite all the misleading and biased information, challenges and the unstable security situation in the region, the United States and its partners continue to work day and night, to deliver lifesaving humanitarian aid to Gazans, they said.

'Entirely humanitarian in nature'

The delivery of aid resumed once again after the US military successfully reestablished the pier in Gaza on June 7.

Operations were temporarily suspended May 28 after the pier suffered damage in bad weather.

During its previous week-long period of operation, the pier delivered 1,000 tons of aid to the people of Gaza, US Central Command (CENTCOM) deputy commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said June 7.

"Given its proven success, we expect to increase the volume of humanitarian assistance provided through the pier over the previous levels," he said.

Once the pier is fully operational, the number of truckloads will increase to about 150 truckloads daily, or roughly 2 million meals.

The ongoing effort is part of the US government's "overall policy to flood the zone with humanitarian assistance," Cooper said.

"The ongoing effort to support the work of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) "is entirely humanitarian in nature," CENTCOM said.