The United States calls it “coincidental” that the deadly Israeli operation took place near the floating dock built to deliver aid to Gaza.
The United States has stressed that its temporary aid dock in Gaza was not used in Israel’s operation to rescue captives in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, which killed more than 270 people.
The Pentagon said Monday that reports linking the pier to Saturday’s Israeli assault that resulted in the release of four prisoners held by Hamas were “inaccurate.”
“It was close, but I think it was accidental. Again, the pier, the equipment, the personnel supporting this humanitarian effort had nothing to do with the (Israeli military) rescue operation,” Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters.
He added that the Israeli operation – despite its proximity to the US floating dock – does not pose a “greater risk” to US personnel.
“It should be emphasized that the temporary jetty on the Gaza coast was set up for one purpose: to help deliver urgently needed additional life-saving aid to Gaza,” Ryder said.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that the Israeli army used a helicopter on a beach “not far” from the American pier to evacuate three of the captives and the soldiers who freed them.
The Israeli army intensively bombarded the Nuseirat area during the operation, killing at least 274 people, including dozens of women and children, according to Palestinian authorities in Gaza.
President Joe Biden’s administration praised the captives’ rescue.
“We welcome the rescue of four hostages who, after eight months of captivity, were finally reunited with their families in Israel. The United States will not rest until all hostages are returned home,” the State Department said in a statement Saturday.
Although the U.S. military denied any involvement in the attack, several international media outlets, including the New York Times, reported that U.S. officials provided intelligence that contributed to the operation.
Hamas denounced Washington’s alleged involvement in the mission, saying it “once again proves the American administration’s complicity and full participation in war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip.”
The Palestinian group said the attack also raised questions about the United States’ stated concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Biden announced the decision to build the humanitarian pier in March amid an Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has raised fears of famine.
The American Floating Dock was completed in May, but a few weeks later it was damaged by weather, requiring repairs. The pier was raised on Friday.
Humanitarian groups have argued for weeks that the U.S. dock is not an adequate substitute for delivering humanitarian aid by land.
In late May, 20 humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, called the U.S.-installed dock “cosmetic changes” that fail to adequately resolve the crisis.
“As Israeli attacks on Rafah intensify, the unpredictable flow of aid into Gaza has created the mirage of improved access while the humanitarian response is in reality on the verge of collapse,” they said. the groups in a press release.
The Nuseirat attack could further worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) suspended aid deliveries to Gaza following the operation.
“Two of our warehouses were blown up yesterday, so we’ve taken a step back just for the moment to make sure we’re in safe conditions and on safe ground before we restart,” WFP Executive Director Cindy said on Sunday McCain, to CBS News. .