DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)— The U.S. military confirmed early Saturday that humanitarian airdrops into the Gaza Strip carried out by other countries into the Gaza Strip killed civilians.
The military’s Central Command, which oversees the Mideast, issued the statement on X, formerly Twitter.
It did not identify the countries involved.
“We are aware of reports of civilians killed as a result of humanitarian airdrops,” the statement read. “We express sympathies to the families of those who were killed. Contrary to some reports, this was not the result of U.S. airdrops.”
The U.S. military airdropped food Friday from a U.S. C-130, the equivalent of 11,500 meals donated by Jordan, into the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Palestinian officials said five people were killed and several others injured when airdrops malfunctioned and hit people and landed on homes.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military will deploy about 1,000 troops to transport and build a floating pier on the Gaza shore in order to get critically needed food and aid delivered to citizens there.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters on Friday that it will take weeks for this to come together, but that the U.S. is working as quickly as possible to get troops and equipment deployed and the pier constructed.
There will not be any U.S. forces on the ground in Israel, Ryder said, adding that details about who will be taking the supplies ashore from the causeway are still being worked out.
He said elements of the Army’s 7th Transportation Brigade, along with assistance from Military Sealift Command, will take part in the mission.
The troops, he said, will build an offshore pier where large ships can offload food and supplies. Then smaller military vessels will transport that aid from the floating pier to a temporary causeway that will be driven into the ground at the shoreline.
He added that the U.S. is also talking with allies and others about the food distribution and other elements of the operation.