The Latest | Aid ship sails for floating pier off Gaza, as more Palestinians flee Rafah

By The Associated Press

A first ship carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza was on its way Thursday to a floating platform built by the U.S. military. The plan is for cargo to be transferred at the pier to smaller U.S. boats that will deliver it to shore. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt has been shut down since Israel’s military took control of the Palestinian side early Tuesday. The operation closed a main entry point for aid. Civilians in Rafah have been thrown into panic and chaos by the possibility of a full-scale Israeli invasion of the overcrowded city. Tens of thousands of displaced and exhausted Palestinians have packed up their tents and other belongings and left for other parts of Gaza.