Pictured: First look at £255m humanitarian aid pier off the coast of Gaza

Construction of the floating platform in the Mediterranean is underway – UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES

The $320 million floating platform that will be used to deliver aid to Gazans is progressing, according to satellite images.

Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters the cost was a rough estimate for the project and included the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations.

Satellite photos show the USNS Roy P. Benavidez about seven miles from the port where the base of operations for the project is being built by the Israeli military. The USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr., an army logistics vessel, and several other army boats are with the Benavidez and working on the construction of what the military calls the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, system.

Satellite images from Sunday and Monday by Planet Labs PBC showed pieces of the floating pier in the Mediterranean Sea, alongside the Benavidez. Measurements of the vessel match known features of the Benavidez, a Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo ship operated by the Military Sealift Command.

The pier will be used to receive and deliver humanitarian aid – UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES

A US military official confirmed late last week that the Benavidez had begun construction and that it was far enough off shore to ensure that the troops building the platform would be safe. Ms Singh said on Monday that next will come the construction of the causeway, which will then be anchored to the beach.

The US military’s Central Command published images of the floating pier’s construction online early Tuesday, after the publication of the satellite photos.

“The pier will support USAID [United States Agency for International Development] and humanitarian partners to receive and deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” said the statement on Twitter.

US and Israeli officials have said they hope to have the floating pier in place, the causeway attached to the shore and operations underway by early May. The Pentagon said on Monday the operation will cost at least $320 million (£255 million).

Under the plan by the US military, aid will be loaded onto commercial ships in Cyprus to sail to the floating platform. The pallets will be loaded onto trucks, which will be loaded onto smaller ships that will travel to a metal, floating two-lane causeway. The 550m (1,800ft) causeway will be attached to the shore by the Israel Defense Forces.

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles – and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.