US Army boats head out on a mission to build a floating pier off Gaza’s shore for food deliveries

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four U.S. Army boats, loaded with tons of equipment and steel pier segments, have left Virginia and are heading to Gaza. They are part of the U.S. effort to expand the delivery of food and other supplies to starving Palestinians as Israel’s war against Hamas drags on. The ships pulled out of docks at Joint Base Langley-Eustis on Tuesday and headed down the James River toward the Atlantic Ocean. Once off the coast of Gaza, the soldiers will build and begin to operate a floating dock to receive the aid. The Israel-Hamas war has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where residents are struggling to find food.