A U.S. solider died last week after he was injured over the summer while working on the American-built Gaza pier.
Who Is the Soldier
Sergeant Quandarius Stanley, 23, a motor transport operator, sustained critical injuries when high winds and rough seas battered the pier, causing four U.S. Army vessels to run aground.
Two other service members were also injured but have since returned to duty.
What the Military Says
U.S. military officials have not specified how Stanley was injured, only confirming the incident was non-combat related. Stanley, who died last Thursday, was assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.
In a statement, Colonel John “Eddie” Gray, brigade commander said, “Sgt. Quandarius Stanley was an instrumental and well respected first-line leader in the 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary (TBX), especially during the mission to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. We will continue to provide support to his family during this difficult time.”
U.S. Army via AP/U.S. Army via AP
“Our entire unit mourns alongside his family,” the statement added.
Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover, spokesperson for the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, stated that Stanley had recently retired and was undergoing treatment at a long-term care facility.
Gaza Pier Project
The large-scale pier project faced setbacks due to unanticipated severe weather, security concerns and ongoing safety risks linked to Israeli forces. These challenges led aid agencies to suspend supply distribution, citing fears of injury or fatalities.
The U.S. Defense Department officially withdrew the pier from Gaza’s coast on June 28 and ended the mission to deliver aid to the territory in mid-July amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In total, the military transported nearly 20 million pounds of aid to Gaza’s shores, marking what officials described as the “largest volume of humanitarian assistance” ever delivered to the Middle East.
However, aid agencies struggled to transport the food inland to the areas in Gaza where it was most needed, as humanitarian convoys faced attacks.
Since the start of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants, the U.S. has repeatedly called on Israel to provide aid to residents living in Gaza.
However, on Monday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller criticized Israel’s response to conditions outlined for improving aid deliveries to Gaza, giving it a “fail” grade to meet the requirements set in a letter last month from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to senior Israeli officials.
On the eve of the election, the Biden administration publicly rebuked its close ally, Israel, as support for the nation remains a key issue for many voters, while the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians also weighs heavily.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have been actively courting Muslim and Arab American voters, as well as Jewish voters, in key battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.