Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
According to the Pentagon, three US soldiers involved in the Gaza pier mission were injured on Thursday, with one being seriously hurt and medically evacuated to Israel.
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, informed reporters that the injuries were non-combat-related and occurred at sea. In a statement, Cooper said, “Three injuries, two were very minor injuries and those individuals returned to duty. One individual is undergoing care at a local Israeli hospital.” He specified that the minor injuries included a sprained ankle and a back injury, with both soldiers resuming their duties.
The third soldier, who was injured on a ship, required immediate medical evacuation. Defense officials later disclosed that this soldier was critically injured while working on the staging platform off Gaza’s coast.
These injuries mark the first among US service members participating in the operation aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians via a newly constructed pier off Gaza’s coast.
The US military recently completed a pier off Gaza’s coast as part of a maritime corridor designed to deliver aid to the region. This corridor originates in Cyprus, receiving aid from international groups and donor countries, which is then shipped to a US-built floating dock located two miles off Gaza’s coast. From there, aid is transferred to US Army watercraft and transported to the pier, where humanitarian workers distribute it within Gaza, without US troops setting foot on the land.
In its first week of operation, the pier facilitated the delivery of over 1 million pounds of aid to Gaza. However, US officials have emphasized that this maritime corridor cannot replace land crossings and will not fully meet Gaza’s immense humanitarian needs. The operation has faced challenges, including weather-related delays and security issues, such as a Hamas drone attack that temporarily halted aid convoys.
