Washington DC - The Pentagon hopes that the temporary pier set up by the US military off the coast of Gaza to deliver aid will be repaired by the end of the week, officials said Wednesday.

"We're hoping that we will be able to re-anchor the pier into Gaza at the end of the week," US Department of Defense spokesperson Sabrina Singh said.

"As soon as the temporary pier is re-anchored to the beach in Gaza, we expect aid to flow pretty immediately," Singh added.

The pier anchored on the coast was severely damaged in rough seas at the end of May just a few days after it was completed.

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Due to strong waves, four US military ships involved in the mission broke free from their moorings.

There had also previously been problems with the distribution of aid supplies. The Pentagon said at the time that some deliveries had been "intercepted."

The people of Gaza are suffering desperate conditions, including starvation and famine, amid a brutal Israeli siege and blockade of the occupied territory. Israel has killed over 37,000 Palestinians in the last eight months as the US continues to supply its military with dangerous weapons.

On Wednesday, Singh also corrected the estimated costs for the temporary pier downwards to around $230 million, including repair costs. The Pentagon had previously put the costs at around $300 million.