The United States is using all avenues at its disposal to dramatically increase the amount of aid allowed into Gaza by land, sea and air.

A senior US official said the United States wants to build redundancy into the aid system so that if one port of entry to Gaza is cut off, required supplies can still flow in elsewhere, the Washington Post reported April 6.

Joint air drops are continuing unabated, with US Army aircraft having dropped 739 tons of humanitarian assistance since March 2 as of the first week of April, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The humanitarian airdrops "contribute to ongoing US and partner-nation government efforts to alleviate human suffering," CENTCOM said April 7.

The success of these operations is partly due to civilian compliance with the delivery procedures put in place to ensure the safety of the intended recipients, the military said.

These procedures also allow a successful and safe drop zone for US military and coalition partners, including Jordan, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, four US Army ships that specialize in building temporary piers and bridges deployed from southeastern Virginia in mid-March and are due to build a floating pier in the eastern Mediterranean this month.

Operations are expected to begin about May 1.

The offshore pier and causeway connecting it to Gaza's coast will enable the delivery of about 2 million meals by sea daily.

The pier construction effort will involve at least 1,000 US troops, none of whom will be on the ground in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces have agreed to establish a "security bubble" to protect the US military personnel building the pier as well as the individuals offloading and distributing the aid, POLITICO reported last month.

Israel on April 5 said it would allow "temporary" aid deliveries through Ashdod port and the Erez checkpoint along its border with northern Gaza, as well as increased deliveries from neighboring Jordan at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The announcement was made as Israel has come under rising pressure from US officials and humanitarian agencies to allow more aid into Gaza.