Vice Adm Brad Cooper, deputy commander at US Central Command, told reporters in a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday that the pier had achieved its intended effect in what he called an “unprecedented operation”.
Critics call the pier a $230m boondoggle that failed to bring in the level of aid needed to stem a looming famine. The US military, however, has maintained that it served as the best hope as aid only trickled in during a critical time of near-famine in Gaza and that it got close to 20m lbs (9m kgs) of desperately needed supplies to Palestinians.
Aid groups slammed the US military pier as a distraction, saying the US should have instead pressured Israel to open more land crossings and allow the aid to flow more quickly and efficiently through them.
There’s a huge difference. Hamas invaded Israel and intentionally slaughtered civilians and followed up by taking hostages whom they to this day refuse to release despite the ‘horrors’ being visited on their people. Israel is specifically going after Hamas and while being indifferent to the collateral damage. I’m absolutely certain the Israelis would prefer a clean fight for obvious unfair reasons but I have no illusions they will ever get that so here we are fundamentally agreeing to disagree.
The (edit: the past) mistreatment of the Palestinians is a crime that I fully support ICC justice for. It should have been what all these people downvoting made the wedge issue LONG ago and their outrage poorly conceals their guilt to this end. Regardless, it does not justify terrorism and anyone that thinks it does is lost. I also think the UN should force the issue to both sides dissatisfaction so we can end this century+ of BS but I’m not holding my breathe.
Israel certainly prefers a clean fight when they checks notes bomb UN Schools and Neutral Aid Camps filled with children and innocent civilians
… housing Hamas weapons or under attack by Hamas specifically because it was supposed to be safe.