GAZA. Aid trucks commenced deliveries through a newly constructed U.S.-built pier on Friday in response to mounting international pressure to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The U.S. Central Command announced that trucks carrying humanitarian supplies began moving ashore at 9 a.m. local time (0600 GMT).
This temporary floating pier, pre-assembled by the U.S. military at the Israeli port of Ashdod, was moved into position on Gaza’s coast earlier this week. Despite the military’s involvement in constructing the pier, U.S. troops did not go ashore, according to Centcom.
“This is part of an ongoing, multinational effort,” stated the U.S. Central Command, noting that the aid includes commodities donated by various countries and humanitarian organizations.
The UK confirmed the delivery of its first aid shipment via this new route. Concurrently, the United Nations is finalizing plans to distribute aid through the pier, though it maintains that land convoys remain the “most viable, effective and efficient” method for aid delivery into Gaza.
“To stave off the horrors of famine, we must use the fastest and most obvious route to reach the people of Gaza – and for that, we need access by land now,” emphasized deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq.
Aid supplies unloaded at the pier will undergo Israeli security checks in Cyprus before reaching Gaza and will face additional checkpoints upon arrival, as confirmed by U.S. administration officials.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened significantly following an Israeli campaign launched last year in response to Hamas-led attacks on October 7. With hundreds of thousands already displaced, the latest upheaval has exacerbated the need for aid as people continue to evacuate in anticipation of further Israeli assaults.
Israel has pledged to increase aid efforts, reporting that 365 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossing points on Thursday, delivering essential supplies like flour and fuel. Hundreds of tents have also been dispatched for those evacuated to the Al-Mawasi area, designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel.
Efforts have also been made to streamline aid delivery through new inspection routes in the occupied West Bank at the Tarqumiyah and Beitunia crossing points. However, disruptions persist due to attacks by Israeli settlers protesting the aid shipments.
“The IDF will continue its efforts to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip by land, air, and sea, in accordance with international law,” stated the Israeli military.
While Israel has recently initiated aid deliveries through a new point near the Erez crossing in northern Gaza, supplies via the southern crossings of Rafah and Kerem Shalom remain disrupted due to Israeli control over the Gaza side of Rafah crossing.
The international community continues to call on Israel to do more to facilitate aid into Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis remains dire.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
