US Army boats head out to build floating pier off Gaza shore

The LLV Monterey sets sail for its mission in Gaza

Four US Army boats, loaded with tons of equipment and steel pier segments, left Virginia on Tuesday, heading to Gaza as part of the US effort to expand the delivery of food and other supplies to starving Palestinians as Israel's war against Hamas drags on.

Humanitarian aid being airdropped over the Palestinian territory, on March 13. Pics/AP

The ships pulled out of docks at Joint Base Langley-Eustis and headed down the James River toward the Atlantic Ocean for what could be a month-long voyage to the Mediterranean Sea. There, at a yet-to-be-announced location along the Gaza shore, they will build and begin to operate a floating dock to receive the aid.

The UN says virtually all of Gaza's 2.3 million people are struggling to find food. But getting humanitarian aid to the area has been difficult, due to the ongoing hostilities and struggles to coordinate with the Israeli military, which has blocked routes and slowed deliveries due to inspections.

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