WASHINGTON (NEWSnet/AP) — The pier built by the U.S. military to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza will be reinstalled Wednesday, used for several days, then removed permanently, several U.S. officials said.

Officials said the goal is to clear whatever aid has accumulated in Cyprus and on the floating dock offshore and get it to a secure area on the beach in Gaza. After that has been accomplished, the Army will dismantle the pier and depart.

The project has been hampered by persistent heavy seas and stalled deliveries due to security threats.

U.S. troops removed the pier on June 28 because of inclement weather and moved it to Port of Ashdod in Israel. But distribution of aid had stopped already due to security concerns.

United Nations suspended deliveries from the pier on June 9, after Israel’s military used the area for airlifts following a hostage rescue that killed more than 270 Palestinians.

The Pentagon has said the pier is a temporary project, designed to prod Israel into opening and allowing aid to flow better through land routes, which are more productive than the U.S.-led sea route.

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