The U.S. military’s effort to establish a pier in the Mediterranean Sea to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza failed to meet “service-level standards for equipment and unit readiness,” according to the department’s inspector general’s office.

In March 2024, then-President Joe Biden ordered the creation of the pier, which was intended to provide a maritime theater to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza without putting U.S. troops in the besieged enclave or at risk. But it was hampered by a series of hiccups, including bad weather and poor logistics.

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The IG report, which was dated on Friday, concluded that the military has the “capabilities” to conduct joint logistics over-the-short operations, but “reductions in capacities resulted in challenges to effectively perform these missions.”

“The Army and Navy did not meet service-level standards for equipment and unit readiness, nor did they organize, train, and equip their forces to meet” the “essential tasks for JLOTS,” the report continued.

The United States aimed to get enough food through the pier to feed 500,000 people per month for three months. Because of the weather conditions in the Mediterranean Sea and other obstacles, the U.S. could deliver only enough food to feed about 450,000 people for one month.

The Navy reported damage to 27 watercraft and equipment pieces that totaled $31 million, while United States Central Command reported that 62 U.S. personnel suffered injuries during the operation, per the IG’s report. The department acknowledged previously that the mission cost approximately $230 million in total.

The pier was only operational for about 20 days, even though it was operational from mid-May through mid-July. It was initially damaged during inclement weather, which required days of repair, while rough seas and high winds began earlier than expected, forcing the effort to shut down prematurely as well.

One U.S. service member was killed during the mission. Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley died after sustaining significant injuries while operating on the pier. Two other service members suffered minor injuries in the accident.

The Israeli military has decimated much of Gaza during the roughly 18 months of war following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack. Palestinians are in need of humanitarian aid, which Israel has blocked from entering the enclave to increase pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages it has held since the Oct. 7 attack after negotiations came to a standstill.

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Israeli officials said this week that they will restart large-scale operations in Gaza, including the possible reoccupation of the strip, though it may be a tactic to pressure Hamas further into agreeing to Israel’s demands.

“We are increasing the pressure with the aim of returning our men and defeating Hamas,” Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said, adding that the troops would “operate in additional areas and destroy all infrastructure above and below the ground.”

Further operations would presumably pose a possibly deadly risk to the remaining hostages still held by Hamas.