US military delivers first aid to Gaza through temporary pier

On Friday, trucks carrying much-needed aid for the Gaza Strip began crossing a new U.S.-constructed floating pier into the besieged area. This marks the first time aid has entered through this route as Israeli restrictions on border crossings and intense fighting have hindered the delivery of food and other supplies.

This initial shipment is part of an operation that U.S. military officials hope will scale up to 150 truckloads daily. This effort comes as Israel continues its offensive in the southern city of Rafah in its ongoing seven-month conflict with Hamas.

Despite this new initiative, both the U.S. and aid organizations caution that the pier cannot replace land deliveries, which previously brought in over 500 truckloads of supplies daily. The success of the pier project remains uncertain due to the threat of militant attacks, logistical challenges, and a growing fuel shortage caused by the Israeli blockade since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s military operations have resulted in over 35,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to local health officials, and hundreds more in the West Bank.

The U.S. military’s Central Command confirmed that the first aid shipment crossed into Gaza at 9 a.m. on Friday, without any American troops going ashore.

“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, and will involve aid commodities donated by a number of countries and humanitarian organizations,” the command stated.

Troops completed the installation of the floating pier on Thursday, and the Pentagon announced that humanitarian aid would soon begin flowing, coordinated by the United Nations. However, the U.N. has noted that fuel deliveries via land routes have nearly ceased, making it extremely difficult to distribute the aid.

“We desperately need fuel,” U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said. “It doesn’t matter how the aid comes, whether it’s by sea or by land, without fuel, aid won’t get to the people.”

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh mentioned that the issue of fuel deliveries is a recurring topic in U.S. discussions with Israel. The plan is to start slowly with the sea route and gradually increase truck deliveries as the process stabilizes.

Aid agencies report dwindling food supplies in southern Gaza and a critical fuel shortage, with famine conditions emerging in the north, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Food Program.

Israel maintains that it imposes no restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid and attributes distribution delays to the U.N. However, the U.N. cites ongoing fighting, Israeli fire, and chaotic security conditions as major obstacles. Israel also fears that Hamas will divert fuel for its own use against Israeli forces.

Under U.S. pressure, Israel has recently opened two crossings to deliver aid to northern Gaza, though Hamas attacks on the main crossing at Kerem Shalom have disrupted the flow of goods. Violent protests by Israelis have also hindered aid shipments.

Israel’s recent capture of the Rafah border crossing has raised concerns about civilian safety and further restricted the main entry point for aid into Gaza.

U.S. President Joe Biden initiated the pier project, which is expected to cost $320 million. Aid shipments will be delivered to a port facility built by Israel near Gaza City and then distributed by humanitarian organizations.

The initial shipment was approximately 500 tons of aid. The U.S. has worked closely with Israel on protecting the ships and personnel involved in the operation.

However, there are still concerns about how aid groups will safely distribute food within Gaza, said Sonali Korde of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

“There is a very insecure operating environment,” Korde noted, adding that aid groups are struggling to get clearance for their operations in Gaza.

This follows an Israeli strike last month that killed seven relief workers from World Central Kitchen, whose trip had been coordinated with Israeli officials, along with other aid worker casualties during the conflict.

Pentagon officials have emphasized that security conditions will be closely monitored, and the maritime route may be temporarily shut down if necessary. Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper of the U.S. Central Command assured that they are confident in the security measures to protect those involved.

The construction site has already been targeted by mortar fire, and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces in Gaza.

Biden has assured that no U.S. forces will be on the ground in Gaza; instead, third-country contractors will drive the trucks ashore. Cooper stated that “the United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”

The World Food Program will oversee the aid distribution. Israeli forces will handle security onshore, with two U.S. Navy warships nearby to protect U.S. personnel and others involved.

The aid is collected and inspected in Cyprus, then transported approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the floating pier off the Gaza coast. There, it is transferred to trucks that drive onto Army boats, delivering the aid onshore before returning to the boats.