As Gaza Aid Pier Completed, Pentagon Vows To Protect US Troops Overseeing It

The Pentagon announced Thursday that its floating pier built for Gaza aid has finally been completed and installed. Badly needed humanitarian aid, especially food, will begin being delivered by ships imminently.

The completion comes more than two months after President Biden first unveiled the plan, and has been fraught with challenges including inclement weather as well as threats on Hamas against any potential foreign troop presence.

On this latter point, Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper of Central Command, said that “protection of U.S. forces participating is a top priority. And as such, in the last several weeks, the United States and Israel have developed an integrated security plan to protect all the personnel.”

Image source: US Central Command (CENTCOM)

He added, “We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.” Israel’s military will provide security on the shore while the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Paul Ignatius patrol waters just off the coast.

US CENTCOM has further confirmed, “Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days.” The military statement added, “The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”

Overseeing and handling the inbound humanitarian aid itself will be the UN’s World Food Program.

Israel’s military commented that “We have been working for months on full cooperation with (the U.S. military) on this project, facilitating it, supporting it in any way possible.”

Some humanitarian aid organizations and leaders have still criticized the costly pier project, questioning why Israel doesn’t just let overland convoys into the Gaza Strip:

Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route “is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of the Oxfam humanitarian organization.

One recent issue to arise is the increased number of attacks by Israeli settlers on aid trucks and convoys. Israeli media has confirmed these attacks, including the below:

Israeli settlers block an aid truck for Gaza and beat up the driver unconscious pic.twitter.com/vHsss3oTvF

— What the media hides. (@narrative_hole) May 16, 2024

Several examples of such filmed attacks on aid convoys have been widely circulating over the last days…

“This driver thought he could bring rice to Gaza. Everything here is on the floor” In a video posted on social media, an Israeli settler expresses joy while recording footage of destroyed aid intended for Gaza. Israeli settlers attacked the truck and destroyed the aid they were… pic.twitter.com/7HwtvFyfCX

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) May 16, 2024

The US military has further described of what comes next as follows: “Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days.” The statement added: “The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”