The US military says it has installed a temporary pier to deliver relief supplies into the Gaza Strip. The humanitarian situation in the enclave remains dire amid fighting between Israel and the Islamic group Hamas.

The US Central Command said on Thursday that its personnel anchored the pier to a Gaza beach at around 7:40 a.m. local time. It said no US troops entered Gaza as part of these efforts.

Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance were expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days, it added. The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution.

US President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union Address in March that the pier will enable a massive increase in the daily amount of humanitarian supplies transported into Gaza.

But CNN reported last week that weather and sea conditions might severely limit the ability to use the floating pier even when it became operational.