Pier a symbol of US' dual approach to Mideast conflict

A pier constructed by the Pentagon to deliver food to Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict is a window on the United States' dual approach to the conflict — providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians and lethal weaponry to Israel.

Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational, the project faces criticism that it has not lived up to its initial billing or its $320 million price tag.

Now, the pier will need to be repaired. It will be pulled from the beach and sent to the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, where the US Central Command will repair it, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters on Tuesday.