The US military has finally anchored its new pier off the coast of Gaza and authorities are expected to soon begin delivering crucial humanitarian aid to the beleaguered region.
The pier was completed earlier this month, but its docking was delayed due to bad weather.
Authorities are expected to begin delivering around 500 tons of humanitarian aid in the coming days, offering much-needed relief to Palestinian civilians who lack access to basic needs including food and water as Israel wages war against the militant group Hamas in Gaza.
In a press call, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, said the pier was successfully anchored to a beach in Gaza in the early morning hours of Thursday.
Cooper said there are “hundreds of tons of humanitarian assistance” immediately ready for distribution in the coming days.
“We have thousands of tons in preparation,” he added.
Sonali Korde, assistant to the administrator of the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance at the United States Agency for International Development, said the pier would help address a “gap” in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.
“We are at a time where we cannot spare any effort,” she said.
Aid distribution will begin in the island nation of Cyprus, where barges will carry tons of aid to a floating dock miles off the coast of Gaza. The aid will then be transported to the dock on ships before being unloaded offshore for distribution.
About 1,000 US troops are taking part in the humanitarian aid mission, but Washington has been firm that there will be no troops on the ground. Instead, they will work closely with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the United Nations and humanitarian aid groups to bring aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Some Republicans have raised concerns about how the U.S. military can stay out of harm’s way, especially after the area near the port on the coast was attacked last month.
But Cooper said the U.S. military has worked closely with the IDF to develop a security plan and that Israel has been a supportive partner in the process.
“We worked closely with the IDF to develop a series of protocols,” he said, stating that they had a “high level of confidence” in the mission.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
