US aid mission in Gaza more disastrous than acknowledged
The US military's humanitarian pier mission in Gaza last year resulted in far more injuries, damage, and operational failure than previously publicly acknowledged, an investigation has found.
The mission, formally known as Operation Neptune Solace, was launched under the administration of former President Joe Biden in 2024 after the US failed to persuade Israel to expand overland access for humanitarian deliveries. The US military constructed a temporary offshore pier and floating causeway to transfer aid from ships to the Gaza shoreline without entering Israeli or Gazan ports.
The Pentagon had since acknowledged that the mission encountered certain challenges, such as rough weather conditions, which caused damage to the pier but did not disclose the full scope of the problems.
According to the Department of Defense Inspector General's report, which was published last week, the mission caused 62 injuries among personnel, including the death of Army Sergeant Quandarius Stanley, who was critically injured aboard a Navy vessel in May 2024 and died five months later.
'The Army and Navy did not meet Service-level standards for equipment and unit readiness for their watercraft units,' the report stated, adding that neither service organized, trained, and equipped their forces to meet common joint standards. It also faulted the Transportation Command for shortcomings in logistics planning and exercises.
The report also concluded that the mission cost approximately $230 million and led to $31 million in repair costs after more than two dozen watercraft and equipment pieces were damaged. It further underlined the questionable value of the operation, given that it ran for a total of three months but was actually functional for only about 20 days.
During that time, the US military said it had delivered approximately 20 million pounds of food and supplies via the pier. However, aid groups had stated that Gaza required that amount on a daily basis to avert famine.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated sharply as a result of Israel's military response to the attack on its territory by Hamas militants in 2023. Israel has been accused of indiscriminate bombings, deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, and obstruction of humanitarian aid, which have reportedly led to the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians. The imposed blockade has led to severe shortages of food, medical supplies, and other essential resources, according to international organizations.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly criticized both the US and Israeli governments for failing to unblock overland aid deliveries to Gaza and dismissed Washington's efforts to open alternative routes as politically motivated.
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