US military starts delivering aid to Gaza through floating pier. Here’s what we know

CNN — Trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza have begun moving ashore after arriving through the floating pier built by the US military, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The pier was anchored to a beach in Gaza on Thursday and will be used to funnel aid from various countries into the besieged strip, with most border crossings to the enclave closed and a catastrophic humanitarian disaster unfolding inside. No US troops went ashore in Gaza, according to CENTCOM.

The goal is to get about 500 tons of humanitarian assistance into Gaza through the pier daily, according to Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM. That means about 90 trucks worth of aid a day, and the goal is to build up to 150 trucks a day.

One ship is expected to unload aid at the pier on Friday, a UN official told CNN, adding that it was unclear if the process of unloading aid had begun. The aid will go to the northern part of Gaza on one day and to the south on the next.