US soldier dies in wake of injuries from Gaza aid delivery

A US soldier critically injured earlier this year while assigned to the Pentagon's humanitarian aid operation off the coast of Gaza has died.

Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley was receiving treatment in a long-term care facility after being injured in May while helping move aid to a temporary pier built by the US military , the Army said Tuesday in a statement.

The Army did not specify the date of death, but the 23-year-old, from Columbia, S.C., died Oct. 31, according to an obituary posted online by the Jackson and McGill Funeral Home in Marion, S.C.

Stanley "was an instrumental and well respected first line leader ... especially during the mission to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza," said Col. John "Eddie" Gray, commander of the 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary. "Our entire unit mourns alongside his family."

Injuries in Gaza mission

It wasn't clear how Stanley and two other soldiers were injured in a mishap on a ship near the Gaza coast around May 23. The ship was not docked at the pier.

At the time, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command , which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said three service members had minor non-combat injuries, but one was taken to an Israeli hospital for an undisclosed issue.

CENTCOM subsequently said the soldier was in critical condition. CNN reported that the other two soldiers recovered from their injuries and returned to duty on Monday.

Stanley, who had served in the Army since July 2020 as a motor transport operator, was later flown in critical condition from Israel to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas.

He was retired from the Army on Oct. 25 due to his injuries, according to the Army statement.

The Gaza pier became operational on May 17, but the mission was hampered by bad weather and logistical issues that repeatedly delayed aid delivery. Stay updated with the latest news!

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Just two weeks after it entered service, officials were forced to suspend operations and remove the pier from the shore to repair damage caused by rough weather.

The pier was again removed from the Gaza shore at the end of June due to bad weather and had been in the Israeli port of Ashdod for weeks when officials announced on July 17 that the operation was ending.

Defense Department officials characterized the estimated $230 million mission that delivered more than 1 million pounds of aid as a success. All told, the effort involved about 1,000 soldiers and sailors.

Stars and Stripes reporter Matthew Adams contributed to this report.