The Pentagon on Tuesday said Gazan civilians have not yet received any of the aid unloaded from the humanitarian pier that the United States constructed off the coast of Gaza.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told CNN on Tuesday that he "[did] not believe" any aid from the pier had reached the Palestinian population but noted that the distribution process was underway.
Trucks that were delivering aid over the weekend were, according to Ryder, "intercepted by some people who took that aid off those vehicles." The interception caused the United Nations to suspend delivery and seek "alternative routes" for delivering the 569 tons of aid that have arrived at the pier since Friday, CNN reported.
"Fully appreciating the desperation, but also fully appreciating the fact that it is very important that this aid get to the people who need it most," Ryder said.
"That’s going to continue to be the focus," Ryder added. "So I understand, you know, the focus on why is this not working, or why is that not working, but what we’re focused on is how we can work to ensure that the Palestinian people get the aid."
President Joe Biden revealed during his State of the Union address in March that he ordered the military to construct the pier off Gaza.
The Pentagon said in April that the humanitarian pier—constructed at an estimated cost of $320 million—is meant to help deliver about 90 truckloads of aid per day in initial phases to the Palestinian civilians, with the intent of increasing to 150 trucks daily.
"[Conditions in Gaza] have not improved and in the past two weeks we have seen a vital border crossing close, and at a time when it is critical we see more aid move," Sonali Korde, assistant to the administrator of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, said last week.
"Across Gaza, 2.2 million people, the entire population, is facing acute food insecurity," Korde added.