US military begins construction of Gaza aid pier, says Pentagon

The United States military has begun construction of a pier to boost deliveries of desperately needed aid to Gaza, the Pentagon said on Thursday. UN World Food Programme deputy executive director Carl Skau said earlier on Thursday that the northern Gaza Strip is still heading towards famine and that a great volume of aid is needed to prevent the situation in the Palestinian enclave from deteriorating further. Read our liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded in the Middle East.

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