US troops depart for mission to build Gaza aid port

The first -- a hulking gray-painted watercraft known as a Logistics Support Vessel -- slowly churned away from the pier at Joint Base Langley-Eustis as"The Imperial March" from "Star Wars" played over its loudspeaker system.
It was followed by three smaller vessels that will also make the roughly 30-day trip to the eastern Mediterranean for the port mission -- part of USefforts to boost assistance for Gaza as Israel delays deliveries of aid byground, reports BSS.
The new facility -- which will consist of an offshore platform fortrans shipment of aid from larger to smaller vessels and a pier to bring itashore -- is expected to be up and running "at the 60-day mark," US ArmyBrigadier General Brad Hinson told journalists.
"Once we get fully mission-capable, we will be able to push up to two million meals, or two million bottles of water, ashore each day," he said.
US officials have said the effort will not involve "boots on the ground" in Gaza, but American troops will come close to the beleaguered coastal territoryas they construct the pier, which has to be anchored to the shore.
- Crisis in Gaza -
"I'm not going to go into the specifics of who we're working with in order to anchor the pier but we will have some assistance," said Hinson, who alsodeclined to discuss security measures.
A total of some 500 troops from the 7th Transportation Battalion (Expeditionary) will take part in the operation, he said, describing it as "thepremier watercraft unit in our Army."
"They can provide sustainment support over the water in austere environments. They are trained to do this, and they've gone on many exercisesto be ready to provide this capability," Hinson said.
Gaza has faced relentless bombardment by Israel since Hamas launched across-border attack on October 7 that resulted in about 1,160 deaths, most ofthem civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel's retaliatory operations in Hamas-controlled Gaza have killed 31,184 Palestinian, mostly women and children, according to the territory's healthministry.
The amount of aid brought into Gaza by truck has plummeted during five months of war, and Gazans are facing dire shortages of food, water and medicine.
The United States has carried out a series of airdrops to deliver aid this month, but the number of people in need of assistance in Gaza is much greaterthan can be fed by drops alone.