Three US service members were injured, one critically, while working on the Army’s Gaza aid pier on Thursday.
The troops had been working to deliver humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip on the temporary floating pier that the US completed last week, US Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command told Reuters.
The incident marks the first injuries for US forces during the operation.
Two service members suffered a sprained ankle and a minor back injury.
“Two were very minor, routine injuries. Those individuals returned to duty,” Cooper said.
A third service member, who was injured on a ship at sea, was medically evacuated to a hospital in Israel, he said.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters the individual was in critical condition.
The controversial floating pier was announced by President Biden in March to facilitate humanitarian aid to millions in the Gaza strip during Israel’s ongoing military offensive in the enclave.
It’s estimated to cost about $320 million for its first 90 days after opening last Thursday and will be operated by about 1,000 US service members — who Biden assured would not enter Gaza itself.
The Pentagon has said it will prioritize the safety of US military personnel.
“We’re clear eyed and we continue to look at force protection all day, every day and as it stands now we assess the operations can continue,” Cooper said.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said that 569 metric tons had been unloaded on the pier, but none of it had actually made it to Palestinians, who are in dire need of food, water and other vital supplies.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that some trucks, operated by nongovernmental organizations tasked with delivering the aid to another staging area, had been ransacked by looters.
“We do anticipate that assistance will be distributed in the coming days here, of course conditions permitting,” Ryder said.
