US confirms arrival of first aid trucks via Gaza pier

The US military has confirmed on Friday (May 17) that the first aid shipment has reached Gaza via the temporary pier. According to a post on X by US Central Command, aid trucks began moving ashore around 0900 local time.

"This is an ongoing, multinational effort to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza via a maritime corridor that is entirely humanitarian in nature," the post stated, stressing that no US troops went ashore.

The US started constructing the floating base weeks ago to facilitate aid delivery to Gaza amidst Israel's military campaign against Hamas.

What's the process of dispatching aid?

This announcement follows reports that hundreds of tonnes of aid had arrived in Cyprus on Wednesday (May 15), where it undergoes screening before being loaded on to commercial ships for delivery to the pier.

Once at the pier, smaller US military vessels, capable of carrying five to 15 lorries of aid, will transport it to a floating pier several hundred metres long, fixed to Gaza's beach.

The lorries will travel along the pier and drop off the aid at a marshalling yard on the beach.

Also watch | Israel-Hamas War: US military completes installation of Gaza floating pier for aid delivery

The UN, primarily the World Food Programme, will be responsible for the onward distribution of the aid.

The announcement signifies the opening of a new route for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.

Approximately 2.2 million Palestinians are in need of food, shelter, and other assistance.

Aid deliveries to the area have slowed since Israeli forces took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing last week.

Earlier this month, Israel temporarily closed the key Kerem Shalom crossing overnight, citing the death of four soldiers in a Hamas rocket attack near the crossing.

Gaza crisis deepens; bleak conditions grip region

Aid agencies said that they are almost out of food in southern Gaza and running low on fuel. This shortage will cause hospitals to stop critical operations and prevent aid trucks from delivering supplies. The United Nations and other agencies have warned for weeks that an Israeli attack on Rafah, near the main aid entry points on the Egypt border, would severely disrupt humanitarian efforts and lead to many civilian deaths. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. (With inputs from agencies)