Three United States troops were hurt in an aid operation on Thursday at the Gaza Pier, with one requiring medical evacuation to Israel.
This marks the first time US service members have been injured in the operation to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians from a pier off the coast of Gaza.
The three service members sustained noncombat-related incidents at sea, said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command.
"Three injuries-two were very minor injuries-and those individuals returned to duty. One individual is undergoing care at a local Israeli hospital," Cooper disclosed during a Thursday press call.
Cooper added that the two with minor injuries suffered a sprained ankle and a back injury, and both had returned to duty, according to The Hill.
Earlier this month, the U.S. military completed a pier off the coast of Gaza as part of a maritime corridor to provide aid to the besieged territory.
The corridor begins in Cyprus, where international humanitarian groups and donor countries send aid to a U.S.-built floating dock located 2 miles off the Gaza coast.
In its first week of operation, the pier facilitated the delivery of over 1.2 million pounds of aid to Palestinians, said US officials;
However, they emphasized that the maritime corridor, while essential, does not fully meet Gaza's "staggering needs" and cannot replace land crossings.
The pier has faced several complications, including delays in securing it to the coast due to bad weather, and at least one truck has been looted.
A Hamas drone attack miles away from the pier also caused a halt in aid convoy movements.
