The Pentagon on Monday pushed back on reports the U.S.-built floating pier in Gaza was part of a daring Israeli rescue mission this weekend that freed four hostages who were being held inside homes in central Gaza.
The repaired pier began ferrying humanitarian aid to the shore on Saturday. It had been damaged May 25 when high seas and a North African weather system caused part of the pier to detach.
“The humanitarian pier facility, including its equipment, personnel and assets, were not used in the [Israel Defense Force] operation to rescue hostages in Gaza,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters. “Any such claim to the contrary is false.”
Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the head of the Arab media division in the IDF’s public affairs unit, rejected claims on social media that Israeli commandos used humanitarian aid trucks to get inside the Palestinian refugee camp where the hostages were being held.
“I deny two lies spread by Hamas media in recent hours: Our special forces did not enter the Nuseirat area via any car or aid truck. Our special forces did not use the American floating dock in any way during the operation,” Col. Adraee said over the weekend on X.
Gen. Ryder said the temporary pier on the coast of the Palestinian enclave was built for only one purpose: to help move more urgently needed lifesaving assistance to Gaza.
U.S. officials said about 1.1 million pounds of aid for civilians in Gaza was delivered across the pier after it resumed operations Saturday.
Gen. Ryder acknowledged that there was “some type of helicopter activity” near the pier at the time of Saturday’s raid but insisted it wasn’t involved in the mission.
“The pier, equipment, personnel, all supporting humanitarian efforts had nothing to do with the IDF rescue operation,” Gen. Ryder said.
The pier was operational on Saturday, but high seas forced a temporary suspension that kept aid from being taken across the causeway on Sunday and Monday.
“All indications are that it will commence again” on Tuesday, Gen. Ryder said.
