US denies Gaza aid pier was used in deadly hostage rescue operation

Israeli forces relied on heavy air strikes in a rescue operation in Gaza’s densely-populated Nuseirat camp

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The US denied on Sunday that an aid pier set up by its military was used in the evacuation of four Israeli hostages rescued from Gaza on Saturday.

Gaza health authorities said more than 200 people, mostly civilians, died during the hostage rescue operation, which came amid heavy Israeli air strikes in the Nuseirat refugee camp where the hostages were located.

Israeli media said counterterrorism forces came under heavy fire after the rescue attempt, which led to the death of the Israeli commanding officer, and relied on air strikes as they fought their way to a helicopter landing zone.

The US statement comes after a video emerged on X, showing an Israeli Blackhawk helicopter close to the pier, picking up hostages and security forces before departing. The pier can be seen, along with an aid vehicle and military equipment, including a US M-LIDs counter-drone system.

“The humanitarian pier facility, including its equipment, personnel, and assets were not used in the operation to rescue hostages today in Gaza. An area south of the facility was used by the Israelis to safely return the hostages to Israel. Any such claim to the contrary is false,” said US Central Command, the US military headquarters in the Middle East.

“The temporary pier on the coast of Gaza was put in place for one purpose only, to help move additional, urgently needed life-saving assistance into Gaza.”

More civilians were killed on Sunday morning during Israeli strikes on Al Bureij refugee camp and Rafah, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, adding that Israel has intensified its attacks since Saturday’s strikes.

Three people were killed in a strike on a home in Bureij, Wafa said, with two others killed in Rafah’s Tal Al Sultan neighbourhood.

On Saturday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US supported the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza – thought to be about 130, through “ongoing negotiations or other means”. Officials told CBS News on Saturday that the US had provided intelligence support for the hostage rescue.

On Sunday, the White House said it would continue to back talks to free the hostages, in exchange for a “ceasefire deal that is now on the table.” Such a deal would come with “security assurances for Israel and relief for the innocent civilians in Gaza”, and had wide international backing from the G7 and regional countries.