Israel has committed to help protect US troops who are traveling to the eastern Mediterranean to build and operate a floating dock and causeway that will be used to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff C.Q. Brown said on Thursday.
His comments come as Republican senators have posed questions to the White House and Pentagon about how the military plans to protect the approximately 1,000 US personnel who will be involved in the construction of the pier, which will be based off the coast of Gaza and therefore a potential target for terror groups like Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad.
"Force protection is at the top of the list, anytime our forces are being placed in harm's way," Brown told a small group of reporters, "there will be our own capability and capacity to protect our forces, but you know, the Israelis have also committed to help protect the forces in the area."
Brown said other US partners and allies have capabilities that they will be contributing to help protect the troops in the area.
He added that he spoke recently to his Israeli counterpart about the pier, and he does feel he has received the necessary assurances that the floating dock won’t just be another bottleneck for humanitarian aid into Gaza — as it has been via land crossings into the enclave.
On Thursday, a group of 12 senators wrote to President Joe Biden asking what force protection risks the mission entails, and what the rules of engagement are for US troops if they are fired upon by Hamas or another terrorist group.
The Pentagon has said repeatedly that US forces will not step foot on shore in Gaza and that a regional partner or ally will help to secure the causeway built by the US military to the shore.