The U.S. Army sent four Army boats loaded with equipment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to build a port off the coast of Gaza and address a humanitarian crisis in the area.
The 7th Transportation Brigade Army ships James A. Loux, Monterrey, Matamoros and Wilson Warf departed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia on Tuesday evening with equipment and supplies for constructing the pier, according to U.S. Central Command.
The four Army ships are following a logistics support vessel which departed on Sunday for Gaza carrying the initial batch of equipment.
It's anticipated that 1,000 troops will be required to build the pier and it is expected to become operational in two months. However, it will be capable of facilitating the delivery of up to 2 million meals a day, as noted by Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Tuesday. There are no plans for U.S. troops to be physically present at the pier. Instead, they will collaborate closely with partner groups to deliver aid to Gaza. Aid is expected to be transported from Cyprus to Gaza. A charity ship carrying 200 tonnes of food has initiated the first delivery along the Cyprus-Gaza route this week.
Israel’s conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza has strained the area, leading the United Nations to warn of a potential famine. Limited amounts of aid are entering the strip through land crossings.
The U.S. commencement of airdropping humanitarian aid into Gaza this week aims to alleviate the situation, but some critics argue that relying more on airdrops and sea shipments will only provide a temporary solution to a growing crisis.
Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN’s aid office, expressed gratitude for the efforts in comments
shared by the organization “But it’s not a substitute for the overland transport of food and other emergency aid into Gaza and particularly northern Gaza. It cannot make up for that.” Ryder stated on Tuesday that the U.S. has airdropped 204,000 meals, 48,000 bottles of water, and over 5,000 pounds of food items.
Ryder informed reporters that the maritime pier, the airdrops, and the initiatives to open more land crossings into Gaza are all part of a comprehensive effort to increase aid to the coastal strip.
“This is just part of a broader effort, an international endeavor to provide aid to Gaza,” he commented. “We will continue to play our part as the Department of Defense, recognizing that this is not solely our responsibility. There is a much wider effort.”
Over 30,000 people have died in Gaza as Israeli forces confront Hamas throughout the strip following an Oct. 7 attack that resulted in 1,200 casualties and the abduction of around 250 individuals in southern Israel. Approximately 100 of these individuals are believed to be held captive in Gaza by Hamas.
Israel has also issued a warning about advancing into Rafah, the southern city in Gaza responsible for the majority of humanitarian aid deliveries.
Over a million Palestinians are taking shelter there. President Biden has expressed concerns about Israeli forces entering the city without a plan to evacuate civilians, causing a recent disagreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists on entering Rafah to dismantle Hamas.
The U.S. Army has dispatched four Army boats filled with gear towards the eastern Mediterranean Sea. This is part of Washington's effort to build a port near the coast of Gaza in order to ease a humanitarian crisis in the area. The 7th Transportation Brigade Army ships James A. Loux, Monterrey, Matamoros and Wilson Warf departed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in…
