US soldier dies of injuries sustained during failed Gaza pier mission

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
5 Nov 2024 12:31

The circumstances of Stanley's injury remain largely unclear, although officials claim that it was not combat-related.

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The soldier, 23-year-old Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, was one of three US service members injured in Gaza (US Army)

A US soldier critically injured earlier this summer while working on the Gaza pier has died, the Army announced on Monday.

Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, 23, was one of three service members hurt in "non-combat incidents" during the operation; the other two were quickly returned to duty after sustaining minor injuries, the US Army stated.

Stanley was reportedly assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.

Due to his injuries, he had recently been medically retired from the Army, a defense official reported. He died on October 31.

Details surrounding Stanley's injury remain unclear, but officials have alleged that it was not related to combat. The injuries were first reported by Vice Adm. Bradley Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, who indicated that one individual was “undergoing care at an Israeli local hospital” after being injured on a ship at sea.

Stanley was flown back to the US for treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, in June.

See next: Timeline of the failed US pier in Gaza

The announcement comes as, earlier, five House Democrats warned US President Joe Biden that the deployment of US troops to aid "Israel's" escalating aggression in the Middle East violates US law, reprimanding the Biden administration amid accusations that it was intentionally dismissing domestic law to support Israeli violence in the region.

The Israeli expansion of the war throughout the Middle East, particularly in Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, was supported by the deployment of thousands of US soldiers in the region. The most recent batch was dispatched to "Israel" to assist with the installation of a $1 billion Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system. Additionally, US troops have supported Israeli forces in identifying alleged targets in Gaza.

The big picture

The $230 million floating pier linked to the shore of Gaza has spent more time out of service than operational. Since its inception on May 17, the pier has only been active for 12 out of 38 days.

Georgios Petropoulos, the head of the UN humanitarian coordination office in Gaza, has lately labeled the US operation "a failure," describing it as largely ineffective.

During the limited period that the pier was operational before the storm, roughly 27 trucks departed per day, with plans for 150, knowing that the Gaza Strip needed at least 600 trucks per day to avoid famine.

Hamas says US pier no substitute for Rafah crossing for entry of aid

Last May, Hamas emphasized that any way to bring in aid, including the American pier, is no substitute for opening all land crossings under Palestinian supervision.

In a statement, the movement emphasized its rejection of any military presence of any force in the Palestinian territories, stressing the right of the Palestinian people to receive all the aid they need in light of the catastrophe created by the Israeli occupation.

At the time, the Government Media Office in Gaza stressed that the US administration was trying to whitewash its brutality by establishing a pier off the coast of Gaza City.

The Media Office issued a statement questioning the intentions of the US administration, which is working to manage the genocidal war and form a protective barrier for "Israel."

The statement underlined that the pier does not cover the Palestinian people's need for food, and that what it will provide "will not end the famine."

The statement also demanded the immediate opening of land crossings, questioning the practice of using patchwork and partial solutions while circumventing real ones.

The Media Office also emphasized that land crossings were the most feasible and effective way to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip and demanded the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Rafah crossing in light of the increasingly tragic humanitarian disaster.