Aid shipments have commenced arriving at a pier constructed by the United States off the Gaza Strip on Friday. This comes amid increasing international pressure on Israel to permit more supplies into the blockaded coastal enclave, which is currently engaged in conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas and faces the threat of famine.
The delivery of aid trucks into Gaza started at approximately 9 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command on X, following the completion of the pier installation by the military the day before.
"No U.S. troops went ashore in Gaza," he said. "This is an ongoing, multinational effort to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza via a maritime corridor that is entirely humanitarian in nature," it added, noting that aid was being donated by a number of countries and humanitarian organizations.
The makeshift floating pier was assembled beforehand at the Israeli port of Ashdod and then transported to Gaza's shoreline on Thursday. Gaza lacks its own port infrastructure, necessitating such arrangements for aid delivery.
The floating dock is an initiative aimed at preventing a potential famine in Gaza. Israel's military operations have resulted in the closure of several vital crossings that are essential for the delivery of food, fuel, and other essential aid supplies.
According to Reuters, the Hamas-led government media office in Gaza accused the United States of attempting to improve its tarnished reputation with the pier. Echoing sentiments from the United Nations, humanitarian organizations, and Washington itself, Hamas stated that the U.S.-built pier alone was insufficient to address the humanitarian crisis and called for increased aid shipments to Gaza via land routes.
Meanwhile, Britain said that its aid was among those delivered via the pier, reported NBC news. "UK aid has been successfully delivered to the Gaza shore today, in the first delivery across the US-built temporary pier. The first of 8,400 shelter coverage kits — temporary shelters made up of plastic sheeting — have arrived in Gaza, alongside aid from the US and UAE," as per a statement. It also mentioned that additional aid would be forthcoming in the following weeks.
For almost two weeks, the Rafah crossing, which serves as the primary entry point for aid into Gaza, has remained closed. Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing as part of a ground offensive, extending their presence into eastern Rafah. This action has led to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the city, previously designated as a "safe zone."
Earlier, the Biden administration has voiced increasing frustration regarding the situation in Gaza, cautioning that it will halt the delivery of specific arms if the U.S. ally proceeds with a full-scale invasion of Rafah.
The construction of the US pier began after a warning from the UN's aid chief, who stated that famine has emerged as an imminent threat in Gaza due to dwindling food supplies in the region.
