The Pentagon has revealed that over 60 U.S. service members were injured during President Biden’s Gaza pier construction project, a number far exceeding the administration’s originally reported 3 injuries.
Key Takeaways
- A Pentagon inspector general report disclosed 62 non-combat injuries among U.S. service members during the Gaza pier project, contradicting earlier official statements.
- The $230 million pier project was operational for only 20 days before being dismantled, with one service member dead and $31 million in equipment damages.
- USAID staff had warned President Biden about severe weather challenges before construction began, but the administration proceeded regardless.
- The project involved approximately 1,000 U.S. service members but failed to deliver aid effectively to Palestinian civilians as intended.
- The Pentagon report cited inadequate planning, insufficient equipment maintenance, and poor coordination between Army and Navy units as major factors in the operation’s failure.
Biden Administration Downplayed Casualties
The Pentagon inspector general report released Tuesday reveals a shocking discrepancy between what Americans were told and the reality of the Gaza pier project. According to the document, 62 U.S. service members sustained injuries during the construction and operation of the temporary floating pier off Gaza’s coast. This figure dramatically exceeds the mere three injuries previously disclosed by Biden administration officials, raising questions about transparency in reporting military casualties on humanitarian missions.
The report states that along with the injuries, one service member died during the operation dubbed “Neptune Solace,” and the military suffered approximately $31 million in damages to equipment. The project, announced during Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address and promoted as a cornerstone humanitarian effort, ultimately operated for only 20 days before being decommissioned due to hazardous weather conditions that had been predicted by experts.
Biden spent over $230 million to build a pier near Gaza which lasted about 20 days.
A new report shows 62 US troops were injured during the mission.
One service members was medically evacuated in critical condition and died 5 months later.
The pier also caused $31 million in… pic.twitter.com/4vGUXogRPR
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 8, 2025
Warnings Ignored, Resources Wasted
Perhaps most concerning for American taxpayers is the revelation that the administration pursued the $230 million project despite explicit warnings from USAID officials about severe weather challenges that would likely compromise the mission. The pier was designed to deliver humanitarian aid to 1.5 million Palestinians over a three-month period, but ultimately served only about 450,000 before closing. Reports indicate that much of the aid never reached its intended recipients in Gaza.
The pier project deployed approximately 1,000 American service members into a politically sensitive region, putting them at risk for what critics now describe as a poorly planned humanitarian gesture. The Pentagon watchdog report noted significant planning issues, including failure to consider mission-specific requirements like beach conditions and sea states that ultimately doomed the operation.
Military Readiness and Planning Failures
The Pentagon report delivers a scathing assessment of military preparedness for the mission. According to the inspector general, neither the Army nor Navy properly organized, trained, or equipped their forces to meet common joint standards for the operation. Equipment had low mission-capable rates, and there was insufficient maintenance, manning, and training provided to personnel assigned to the hazardous construction project.
Particularly troubling was the lack of interoperability between Army and Navy equipment, which created significant challenges during the operation. According to Army officials cited in the report, this incompatibility resulted in equipment damage and communications security risks that further endangered American personnel. Despite requests for comment on these findings, the Pentagon has not responded to media inquiries about accountability for these planning failures.
Accountability Questions Remain
The disparity between officially reported injuries and the actual count revealed by the inspector general raises serious questions about transparency in military operations. The report notes that “Based on the information provided, officials could not determine which of these 62 injuries occurred during the performance of duties or resulted off duty or from pre-existing medical conditions,” suggesting potential deficiencies in tracking and reporting service member injuries during the operation.
The Gaza pier project, now widely considered a costly failure, represents a significant expenditure of American resources with little humanitarian benefit to show for it. The $230 million price tag, combined with service member injuries and equipment damage, has sparked renewed debate about oversight of military humanitarian missions and the decision-making processes that deploy American forces into challenging environments without adequate preparation or realistic operational plans.
