A US military ship is sailing towards the Middle East, carrying equipment to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, the army says.
The support ship, General Frank S Besson, set sail from a military base in the state of Virginia on Saturday.
It comes after President Joe Biden said the US would build the floating harbour to help get aid into Gaza by sea.
The UN has warned that famine in the Gaza Strip is “almost inevitable” and children are starving to death.
Aid deliveries by land and air have proved difficult and dangerous.
The World Food Programme had to pause land deliveries after its convoys came under gunfire and looting. And on Friday, there were reports that five people had been killed by a falling aid package, when its parachute failed to open properly.
The US ship departed “less than 36 hours” after Mr Biden made his announcement, US Central Command wrote on X.
It is “carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies” to Gaza, the statement continued.
The Pentagon has said it could take up to 60 days to build the pier with the help of 1,000 troops – none of whom would go ashore.
Charities have said those suffering in Gaza cannot wait that long. BBC
