White House: US troops at Gaza pier authorized to retaliate if attacked

The Biden White House confirmed that U.S. service members supporting a temporary pier constructed in Gaza would “100%” fire back if attacked.

The administration announced Friday that the pier, aimed at funneling humanitarian aid into Gaza, had finally been completed, and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby briefed reporters on operational details at Friday’s White House press briefing.

President Joe Biden has maintained that the United States would not put troops in Gaza, and Kirby stressed to reporters that a “small component of U.S. service members” will take part in “force protection” and assist in unloading cargo on the pier, which is not technically located in Gaza.

“There are no U.S. service members in Gaza. There is a small U.S. military component on the pier itself,” he stated. “They’re there really to do sort of two things. One is to provide a modicum of security for it, but also to assist with the logistics.”

Earlier this spring, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggested that U.S. troops protecting the pier would fire back on attackers if fired upon first.

Asked about Austin’s comments on Friday, Kirby responded that was “100%” still the plan.

According to the White House, the United Nations is facilitating the distribution of aid brought into Gaza through the U.S. temporary pier, some 300 pallets of which were distributed Friday in its first day of operation.

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“This is a humanitarian effort, and contrary to what we’ve been seeing out there in the information space, particularly in the region, it is designed solely only for the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” Kirby told reporters. “There’s no other purpose for this than humanitarian assistance.”

You can watch Friday’s briefing in full below.