Humanitarian aid began entering Gaza on Friday from a temporary pier constructed by the United States, bringing critical supplies to the region, which is severely affected by Israel’s military operations.
The makeshift floating dock aims to prevent a potential famine in Gaza by facilitating the import of food, fuel, and other essentials, especially as several crucial crossings have been closed due to ongoing military actions.
As Israeli forces continue extensive operations against Hamas in both northern and southern Gaza, U.S. lawyers were defending the ground offensive in Rafah at the International Court of Justice.
The U.S. Central Command announced that the aid trucks started arriving in Gaza around 9 a.m. local time on Friday, following the completion of the pier installation the previous day.
CENTCOM clarified that no U.S. troops were deployed on the ground in Gaza, emphasizing the purely humanitarian nature of this initiative, supported by multiple countries and organizations.
Trucks loaded with aid, including some from Jordan, began utilizing the new pier. Jordanian officials expressed concerns to NBC News about the Israeli military’s insufficient handling of the underlying issues.
The primary Gaza entry point for aid, the Rafah crossing, has been closed for almost two weeks after being captured by Israeli forces, pushing further into Rafah and displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes.
Despite the recent reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing and another entry, the Western Erez crossing, the humanitarian situation remains critical.
The Biden administration has voiced frustration over the humanitarian conditions and the operations at Rafah, threatening to halt certain arms shipments to Israel if a full-scale invasion proceeds.
The IDF reported ongoing military activities in Rafah, including the dismantling of a long-range rocket launcher site and intensified operations around Jabalia in northern Gaza, where many are displaced.
Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, mentioned that additional troops would be joining the ground operations in Rafah.
In court at the International Court of Justice, Israel argued that its military actions in Rafah were currently “limited,” in response to a case accusing the country of genocide in its Gaza offensive—a claim both Israel and the U.S. have denied. Local health officials report over 35,000 casualties in Gaza since the conflict escalated following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
Humanitarian groups and healthcare professionals are increasingly concerned about the restricted aid access to Gaza.
Palestinian American doctor Adam Hamawy emphasized the dire need for aid in Rafah, describing the critical food shortages affecting the local population.
The United Nations acknowledged the U.S. efforts but warned that relying solely on the temporary pier for aid delivery is unsustainable due to its limited capacity and the risks associated with transporting aid in a conflict zone.