Report: USAID staff warned Gaza pier could sap Israel's willingness to open 'more efficient' aid corridors

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Biden pushed Gaza pier despite warnings, watchdog says

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The Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has released a report that indicates "multiple" agency officials were at odds with the Biden administration over its decision to build a humanitarian pier off the coast of Gaza.

The office released the report on Tuesday, indicating that "multiple USAID staff" initially expressed concern that implementing the pier could potentially undercut broader efforts to persuade Israel to open "more efficient" land corridors that are "proven methods" for transporting aid. However, the report pointed out, "once the President issued the directive, the Agency's focus was to use [the pier] as effectively as possible."

Construction of the $230 million pier came at a time when the U.S. was facing pressure from critics to send aid to those living in Gaza due to concerns that famine was setting in. Although aid was being delivered by air, President Biden aimed to enhance support by giving the green light to the pier project. It was a joint effort between Biden's Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is tasked with distributing foreign aid for the federal government.

But after just about a week of being up and running, the pier began facing issues. Heavy winds and rough sea waters repeatedly broke the pier apart, and officials working to distribute aid faced hostile actors seeking to loot incoming shipments. Ultimately, the pier operated for 20 days before it was shut down on July 17.

BIDEN'S $230 MILLION GAZA PIER QUIETLY SHUTS DOWN; US SENATOR LABELS PROJECT ‘NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT’

This image shows the floating pier after it was damaged by rough weather in May. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Even before the pier was operational, critics worried there were more efficient and cheaper alternatives to both air drops and the pier. Meanwhile, Republicans blasted the move to build the pier as an effort by Biden to win back support from his progressive base.

"I think he's worried about losing Michigan in November, so he wants to throw [something] … to Muslim-American voters, particularly in Michigan," Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told Fox News Digital in March, the same month Biden announced plans for the pier. Meanwhile, other Republican critics blasted the move for putting American troops in harm's way.

Anti-Israel protesters march near the United Center in Chicago during the recent Democratic National Convention. (Fox News Digital/File)

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A USAID spokesperson told Fox News that the maritime corridor was "always intended as an additive measure," which was "made clear" during its planning. 

The agency spokesperson also once again touted the size of the aid transported by the pier, calling it "one of the largest movements of aid into Gaza during this timeline, and during this time period." 

"In addition to the amount of aid that was able to move into Gaza, the planning and management of pier operations allowed for enhanced multinational cooperation and greater communication between humanitarian partners and Israeli authorities," the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, "USAID’s advocacy" for the expansion of land routes "has remained consistent throughout the conflict," according to the spokesperson.

"USAID teams working in the region and in Washington supported humanitarian partners and governments in the region to coordinate the safe passage of humanitarian aid and commercial goods through all existing land crossings."

A spokesperson for Biden's National Security Council, Sean Savett, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the temporary pier – despite all its shortcomings – "had a real impact" and was "part of a comprehensive response to the dire humanitarian situation in northern Gaza."

Savett noted that prior to being shut down, the pier delivered roughly 20 million pounds of food and water that otherwise would not have made it to the war-torn region, which he insisted was "the highest volume of humanitarian assistance that DOD has ever been able to deliver in the Middle East."

"From the beginning, we said this would not be easy," Savett said. "We were honest and transparent about the challenges. But the bottom line is that, given how dire the humanitarian situation in Gaza is, the United States has left no stone unturned in our efforts to get more aid in, and the pier played a key role at a critical time in advancing that goal."