A US-led effort to bring aid to Gaza by sea is moving forward. But big concerns remain

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, JULIA FRANKEL and JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — The construction of a new port in Gaza and a U.S military-built pier offshore are underway, but the complex plan to bring more desperately needed food to Palestinian civilians is still mired in fears over security and how the aid will be delivered. There’s still no solid decision on when any aid deliveries using the facility will actually begin. The Israeli-developed port already has been attacked by mortar fire, sending high-ranking U.N. officials scrambling for shelter. Satellite photos show major port construction along the shore near Gaza City, but aid groups say they have broad concerns about their safety and reservations about how Israeli forces will handle security there.