“This is further proof of the continuous attempts made by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to systematically harm humanitarian efforts, endangering the lives of UN workers while Israel remains committed to enable and facilitate humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians,” according to the IDF statement.

Assembly of the floating pier has begun several miles off Gaza, and aid delivery is expected to start within days, U.S. officials said.

The U.S. military has started constructing a maritime pier that will allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, the Pentagon said on Friday, a move that had been expected, with the jetty set to become operational by early May.