One of the biggest obstacles the US-built pier for food delivery to Gaza has to date is its humanitarian partner’s decision on how safe it is to continue sending food supplies arriving by sea to desperate Palestinians.
After an Israeli security forces operation on June 8 that resulted in the rescue of four Israeli hostages and the deaths of over 270 Palestinians, the United Nations, the organization with the broadest reach when it comes to distributing help within Gaza, has suspended its engagement with the pier.
Israeli rescuers chose not to go back the way they came, across a land border, following the attack, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters as they hurried out a mortally wounded Israeli commando. Rather, he said, they raced for the beach and the location of the US aid center on Gaza’s shore. The US and Israeli forces claim that an Israeli chopper made land close to the pier that was constructed by the US and assisted in rescuing hostages.
One of the primary concerns that the UN and independent humanitarian groups had about the US sea route was finally realized as a result of this incident: could aid workers work with the US military-backed, Israeli military-secured project without going against the fundamental humanitarian principles of independence and neutrality and without running the risk of being perceived as US and Israeli allies, and consequently, targets in their own right?
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