A new Pentagon oversight report has sharply criticized the Biden administration’s failed Gaza pier initiative, revealing that the project resulted in one death, 62 injuries, and at least $31 million in equipment losses. According to the findings, both the Army and Navy launched the effort without sufficient planning, training, or inter-service coordination.
The temporary floating pier, which President Joe Biden introduced during his 2024 State of the Union address as a response to left-wing outrage over Israel’s conflict with Hamas, was supposed to be a lifeline for humanitarian aid into Gaza. But the structure was operational for only 20 days before being scrapped entirely.
The Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) determined that the military moved forward with the mission — named Operation Neptune Solace — despite serious shortcomings. Both the Army and Navy were grappling with inadequate staffing, under-maintained equipment, and a lack of training at the time the plan was executed.
“The Army and Navy did not allocate sufficient maintenance, manning, [or] training,” the report stated, further pointing out that neither service “did not organize, train, and equip to a common joint standard” necessary for what’s known as joint logistics over-the-shore (JLOTS) operations.
This lack of unity and preparedness had costly consequences. According to the report, 27 pieces of equipment — including vessels, modular piers, and command systems — sustained damage totaling $31 million. Much of the gear used by the two branches was incompatible and couldn’t function together effectively.
The new findings echo an earlier critique published in August 2024 by the inspector general at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which revealed Biden forged ahead with the $230 million venture despite resistance from several federal aid officials.
The DoD OIG report also cited concerns raised by Army personnel. “The lack of interoperability created challenges during (the Gaza operation), resulting in equipment damage and communications security risks,” the report quoted them as saying.
According to US Central Command, 62 personnel suffered injuries during Operation Neptune Solace, although the report does not clarify whether the injuries occurred while on duty or were due to unrelated or pre-existing medical conditions.
Among those hurt in the operation were three service members injured on May 23, 2024, in what the Pentagon described as a non-combat incident. One of them, Army Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, 23, passed away on October 31 while receiving extended medical treatment.
The Biden administration had touted the pier as a gateway for humanitarian relief, projecting it would feed up to 1.5 million Palestinians over the course of three months.
In the end, the project fell far short of that target, ultimately reaching fewer than 450,000 Palestinians before being dismantled on July 17, according to USAID’s analysis.
The report also criticized how the initiative was conceptualized, noting that engineers “did not fully consider mission-specific information requirements, such as beach conditions, average sea states, and other factors that affect the ability to successfully plan and conduct JLOTS operations.”
{Matzav.com}