US says floating pier for Gaza aid operational 'in days'

A floating pier designed to increase the amount of aid getting into Gaza will be operational “within days”, US officials say.

At a briefing for reporters, USAID response director Dan Dieckhaus said construction of the pier - known as a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) system - is complete.

Hundreds of tonnes of aid has arrived in Cyprus, where screening takes place before aid is loaded onto ships for delivery to the pier.

Vice-Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, said commercial ships would collect pallets from Cyprus and deliver them to a floating platform anchored several kilometres off the coast of Gaza.