July 18,2024
Release 20240718 - 02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) personnel have concluded operations for the USAID-led mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza from the sea using the Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) capability.
With collaboration from multi-national organizations and our regional partners, the JLOTS capability enabled the delivery of the highest-ever volume of U.S. military-supported aid in the Middle East. Since May, nearly 20 million pounds of humanitarian aid have been delivered to Gaza.
The U.S. military’s temporary mission in support of USAID achieved the goal of providing an additional means to deliver high volumes of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza during a period of intense need.
The U.S. government’s efforts to increase the volume of aid delivered to affected populations in Gaza will continue beyond the end of the JLOTS mission. USCENTCOM will work with USAID to deliver the remaining aid commodities currently afloat to the Port of Ashdod in Israel for onward distribution to Gaza and will provide coordination and liaison support for HA deliveries at the request of USAID when appropriate.