From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 25, 2024
IDF says terrorists fired mortar shells at under-construction US-led Gaza aid pier as UN officials toured site
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Members of a terror group in the Gaza Strip launched mortars at an under-construction pier for a US-led project to bring aid into the Palestinian enclave yesterday, the military says.
The mortar attack occurred as United Nations officials were touring the site with Israeli troops on the coast of central Gaza, the IDF says in response to a query on the incident.
The IDF says the UN officials were rushed to a shelter by troops amid the attack.
UN officials also confirmed the mortar attack to the Associated Press, saying there were no injuries.
“The terrorist organizations continue to systematically harm humanitarian efforts while risking the lives of UN workers, while Israel allows the supply of aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip,” the IDF adds.
The attack marks a shaky start to the construction of the pier, a project that the US is spearheading to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza.
No group claimed responsibility for the mortar fire, but a Hamas official told AP yesterday that the terror group will resist any foreign military presence involved with the port project.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
