The US military's efforts to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza will vastly increase with the construction of a floating pier scheduled to be completed in early May.

"We're scheduled on track to meet our goal of early May," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a news media gathering on April 29.

US Army vessels and Military Sealift Command ships are in the Mediterranean sea working to build a large floating platform, where ships can unload pallets of aid destined for civilians in Gaza.

The aid will then be transferred by Army boats to a motorized string of steel pier or causeway sections that will be anchored to the shore.

The pier is expected to be as much as 550 meters long, with two lanes. It will cost at least $320 million, Singh said this week.

When the pier is completed, US officials anticipate it will initially facilitate the delivery of an estimated 90 daily truckloads of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Once fully operational, that number should jump to about 150 truckloads, or roughly 2 million meals per day.

US Navy ships and the Army vessels will provide security for US forces building the pier.

The floating pier is part of the US government's longstanding commitment to providing aid to people in need throughout the world.

Complex operation

The 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), the Army's premier watercraft unit specializing in Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS), is carrying out the mission.

It involves a complex choreography of logistics support and landing craft vessels that carry the equipment used to construct the causeway offshore.

"The United States and the world will see our humanitarian capability on display and in action forward," said Army Col. Samuel S. Miller, the brigade's commander.

About 1,000 US troops will be involved in the humanitarian operation, but will not put boots on the ground, officials stressed.

The UN World Food Program (WFP) has agreed to help deliver the aid onshore, US officials said April 19.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) confirmed to The Associated Press that it would partner with the WFP on delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza via the maritime corridor.

"This is a complex operation that requires coordination between many partners, and our conversations are ongoing," the agency said.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said on April 30 "all necessary preparations are being made" by Cyprus "in cooperation with the United States, the European Union and the United Arab Emirates, for the dispatch of humanitarian aid, once the green light is given by the United States."