The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has temporarily halted food distribution operations from a U.S.-built Gaza terminal after a rocket attack on its warehouse, the latest step in efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip from the terminal. blow.
The United States has spent about US$320 million to build terminals in the Mediterranean to facilitate the transportation of goods Aid to Gaza. But there were chaotic scenes as hundreds of Palestinians looted aid convoys and buildings were damaged by bad weather.
According to U.S. Central Command, the aid arrived at the dock on Saturday, with a shipment of approximately 492 tons.
Before and after: Photos show damage to Biden’s $320 million Gaza terminal
The picture shows the Trident terminal in the Gaza corridor on May 16, 2024. (AP U.S. Central Command)
“To date, U.S. Central Command has assisted in the delivery of more than 1,573 metric tons (approximately 3.5 million pounds) of humanitarian aid. No U.S. military personnel have landed in Gaza,” the agency said in a statement. “Supporting the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) ongoing efforts to provide additional assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza is entirely humanitarian in nature and involves donations of aid commodities from multiple countries and humanitarian organizations.”
But on Sunday, World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain said the U.N. planned to stop distributing food due to security concerns.
“Right now, we’re pausing because I’m worried about the safety of our people after what happened yesterday,” she told CBS News.
Looters took aid from trucks carrying it. (Majdi Fati/TPS-IL)
McCain said two warehouses were hit with rockets on Saturday,”[S]o We are taking a step back temporarily to ensure we are in a safe position and on a safe footing before starting again.
She said operations elsewhere were underway.
The World Food Program posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Operations at the floating dock are temporarily suspended in order to conduct a United Nations security assessment to ensure the safety of staff and partners.”
Increasing controversy over Biden’s Gaza terminal raises concerns about cost, safety
The United Nations confirmed that WFP is “temporarily suspending operations at the floating dock until a thorough assessment of the security situation is conducted to ensure the safety of our staff and partners.”
A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that the terminal is still operating and that 1,573 tons of cargo have been shipped from the terminal. The spokesman also said that U.S. military personnel were not conducting operations in Gaza.
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Cindy McCain is executive director of the United Nations World Food Program. (United Nations via Reuters Connect)
Aid agencies have urged Israel to reopen land routes and send aid to Gaza. However, Israel said it had allowed the trucks in and said it was the United Nations’ fault that the aid had not been distributed.
President Biden announced plans to build the pier during his State of the Union address in March, with preliminary estimates calling for it to be completed and operational within 60 days. But the ambulance did not arrive at the dock until May 17.
“Continuing to provide aid to civilians in Gaza is Israel’s top priority in order to continue the fight and ultimately defeat Hamas,” Jonathan Conricks, a former spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. Both Israel and Gaza are off the hook.
“Hamas continues to deliberately disrupt the delivery of aid and continues to attack and loot warehouses, harass aid convoys, and steal and sell international aid,” he said. “Based on the behavior of U.N. officials since October 7, I will not hold my breath. Breathing hears them condemn Hamas for blocking aid and only criticizes Israel. I urge the WFP and all other international NGOs to resume delivering aid.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
