The U.S. Army Completes and Deploys Floating Dock for Aid Delivery to Gaza

The U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, announced on Thursday that the U.S. Army has completed the installation of a floating dock for aid delivery to Gaza and has deployed it for use in the coming days. CENTCOM stated in its announcement that trucks carrying humanitarian aid are expected to begin their journey to unload cargo at this dock in the coming days. The first ship carrying U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza had set sail towards this floating dock a week earlier. According to the plan, the aid cargo will be transferred from this floating dock to smaller American boats, which will then take it to shore. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the main entry point for humanitarian aid, has been closed since the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side. Civilians in Rafah are living in fear and chaos due to the potential for a large-scale Israeli invasion of this densely populated city. Reports indicate that tens of thousands of previously displaced Palestinians have packed their tents and other belongings and are heading to other areas of Gaza. The Gaza war has displaced about 80% of the 2.3 million population of this territory and caused widespread destruction of the city. Following the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of over 250 others, Israel launched an invasion of Gaza aimed at destroying this Iran-backed Islamist group and recovering the hostages. Hamas officials have repeatedly emphasized since the October 7 attack that they would carry out similar attacks if possible. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Israel targeted eastern Rafah with airstrikes; tank formations were reported outside the city. Israel announced the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing; the United Nations reported that no aid has yet entered Gaza.