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Israel-Gaza live updates: Military pier to be taken offline again, official says

This is a precautionary move to protect the pier from breaking in rough waves.

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, negotiations have stalled to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, and Israeli forces continue to launch incursions in the southern Gazan town of Rafah ahead of a possible large-scale invasion.


Military pier in Gaza to be taken offline again: US official

The U.S. military pier in Gaza will be taken offline again on Friday and moved to the Israeli port of Ashdod due to high seas, according to a U.S. official.

This is a precautionary move to protect the pier from breaking due to rough waves, the official said.

This is the third time the pier has had to be moved to Ashdod because of weather. The pier has been operational only about half of the time since it opened in mid-May.

“I don't have a date of when the pier would be reinstalled,” Defense Department deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday, noting that Centcom will assess the sea conditions over the weekend.

As the pier was moved away Friday, two U.S. officials told ABC News that officials are considering not re-installing the pier until the humanitarian aid that it brought to Gaza gets distributed. More than 19 million pounds of aid has been delivered to Gaza via the pier but it’s now piling up at the staging point at the edge of the pier, Singh said.

Inspectors General at the Pentagon and the U.S. Agency for International Development announced Thursday that they’re launching reviews of the mission to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza via the military's temporary pier system.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Luis Martinez


Israel, US discussing transfer of Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine

Israel and the U.S. are discussing the transfer of Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News.

This agreement -- not yet finalized, according to the source -- would mark a shift in Israel’s public policy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A key factor behind Israel’s willingness to discuss the transfer of Patriot air defense batteries is the tightening military alliance between Russia and Iran.

In April, Israel announced the decommissioning of U.S.-donated Patriot systems from its aerial defense array. Security sources previously said Patriot has been successfully replaced by the Israeli-made David's Sling air and missile defense system.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir


Pentagon, USAID to review aid delivery via JLOTS pier

The Inspectors General at the Pentagon and the United States Agency for International Development announced Thursday that they will carry out separate reviews of the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza via the JLOTS temporary pier system.

The pier has been operational 21 out of the 42 days since it was first anchored to the beach in Gaza, according to statistics the United States Central Command provided to ABC News. The pier has been attached three separate times because of bad weather.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez



State Department reissues travel alert for Lebanon

As tension continues to simmer along the Israel-Lebanon border, the State Department is reminding U.S. citizens about the risks associated with traveling to Lebanon, urging them to "strongly reconsider."

"The Lebanese government cannot guarantee the protection of U.S. citizens against sudden outbreaks of violence and armed conflict," the alert said.

The State Department also notes that while most of Lebanon is classified as a level 3 (reconsider travel) the southern portion of the country, the Lebanon-Syria border area, and refugee settlements are at a level 4 (do not travel).

Officials say this reminder is not a predictor of escalation to come and that the situation in Lebanon is under continuous review.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford


State Department tries to address 'breakdown in security' holding up Gaza aid

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Tuesday addressed concerns that the United Nations could suspend humanitarian operations in Gaza as the conditions its workers face in the enclave have devolved from bad to worse.

"I can tell you this is an issue we have been intensely focused on," Miller said, adding that the State Department’s special envoy for Middle Eastern humanitarian issues has coordinated with the U.N. and Israeli entities to "try to figure out a way to allow U.N. workers to safely do their jobs."

Miller noted while some aid was flowing into Gaza through various points of entry and moving through the north, the U.S. had observed "over the past few weeks, a big backlog" at Kerem Shalom -- the border between Israel and southern Gaza -- due to a "breakdown in security on the ground." This was caused not by the Israel Defense Forces or Hamas, but by "random looting, and criminal gangs and criminal actors who are attacking trucks," Miller said.

Miller said U.N. aid workers will be provided with "personal protective equipment, radios and other communication devices so they can communicate with each other and safely move around Gaza."

Miller said, "Long term, we want to see a cease-fire and the reestablishment of Palestinian-led governance. And ultimately, we have ideas for providing security inside Gaza, providing governance and reconstruction -- all of these things that would go to a restoration of law and order. ... But that is a long term that in no way accounts for the here and now."

Miller also argued that the U.S. had a limited role it could play in increasing security for aid workers at this stage, saying it was ultimately an issue that Israel and the U.N. would have to address.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford