The Pentagon is aware of reports that a small number of mortars landed in the vicinity of the marshalling yard area for humanitarian assistance that will eventually be the delivery site off the coast of Gaza.
The Pentagon is tracking some type of mortar attack causing minimal damage in the vicinity of the marshaling yard area for US delivery of humanitarian aid off the coast of Gaza, Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Thursday afternoon.
Ryder said it’s important to highlight this occurred before any US forces started moving any supplies and no US assets were damaged. It’s unclear if any Israeli assets sustained damage.
Ryder added that the USNS Benavidez has begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea.
Cyprus is where aid will be stockpiled and loaded on the ships and Gaza is the shore where eventually this temporary causeway will connect, Ryder said.
The marshalling yard eventually will be in the vicinity of where the causeway will connect to, Ryder said but the two essential pieces in the middle are the temporary pier which is out at sea and the causeway which will eventually join land and be anchored.
Not enough communication
According to Ryder, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has yet to speak with his Israeli counterparts on reports of mass graves found in Gaza with allegations of war crimes committed in the killing of the Palestinians found in the graves.
Earlier Thursday, a State Department spokesperson said further information has been requested from Israel regarding the mass graves. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel faced scrutiny over the US' decision to allow Israel to conduct its own investigation into these allegations and not answer calls for an independent investigation.