UN World Food Program Halts Humanitarian Aid Distribution via Floating Dock

On Sunday, June 9, the director of the UN World Food Program, Cindy McCain, announced that the distribution of food from the US-built dock in Gaza was halted due to "concerns for the safety of the people." She stated that during the Israeli military operation to free four hostages, two warehouses of the UN agency were targeted, resulting in injuries to one of its staff. She did not provide further details about the duration of this pause. A spokesperson for the World Food Program did not immediately respond to a request from the Associated Press regarding this matter. The US Agency for International Development described the decision to halt the distribution of aid as a step to reassess the security situation in Gaza. This agency collaborates with the World Food Program and their humanitarian partners in Gaza to distribute food and other aid received from the dock under US administration. Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) previously announced that a US C-130 aircraft delivered more than 10 tons of ready-to-eat food to civilians in northern Gaza on Sunday, June 9. According to CENTCOM, including these deliveries, the United States has provided over 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, especially residents of the northern areas, solely through the air in the past three months. At the direction of President Joe Biden, a relief dock was also established on the coast of Gaza to deliver necessary aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip. The US dock, constructed at the direction of President Biden, was separated from the coast of Gaza due to weather conditions, but after repairs by American and Israeli engineers at the Ashdod port in Israel, it became operational on Saturday, June 8. CENTCOM reported that on Saturday, 492 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to the people of Gaza via the dock, bringing the total aid delivered to 1,574 tons. According to a spokesperson for the World Food Program, during the two weeks of operation of this dock before it was damaged, over 137 trucks transported approximately 900 tons of aid to Gaza through it. The US Agency for International Development told the Associated Press that it is working with other US government officials and humanitarian groups in Gaza to ensure that aid is resumed safely and effectively after completing the security assessments currently being conducted by the humanitarian community. The resumption of dock operations on Saturday coincided with the day Israel conducted a complex air and ground operation to rescue four hostages. In response to social media claims following the Israeli military operation, CENTCOM tweeted on Saturday that neither the dock nor any of its equipment, personnel, or other facilities were used in the Israeli operation. The tweet noted that Israel used an area south of the dock to safely return the hostages. Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced on Saturday, June 8, that it is reinforcing its forces to secure the floating dock so that humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza can resume in the coming days. CENTCOM: Humanitarian aid flow to Gaza has resumed. The Israeli army is reinforcing its forces to secure the aid dock to Gaza. The temporary dock on the coast of Gaza is being reactivated with the cooperation of American and Israeli forces. Egypt: 200 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza through the "Karem Shalom" border crossing. The UN has resumed aid delivery to Gaza via the American dock. The White House: More humanitarian aid is flowing to Gaza.