Families of US troops in shock as they deploy to Gaza coast to build emergency pier

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Hundreds of U.S. troops are now en route to the Gaza coast to build a massive floating pier off the war-torn enclave that will open up a desperately needed route for humanitarian aid promised by President Joe Biden.

The deployment order, delivered to the troops shortly before Biden announced the effort in his State of the Union address last Thursday, comes five months after the start of the war in Gaza and as Israel has blocked aid trucks from entering, citing security concerns.

International aid organizations say several children have already died of starvation.

Troops and their families who spoke with ABC News said they had been watching the war unfold on social media and elsewhere, but that last week's deployment order came as a shock.

Several troops said telling their kids they were leaving on short notice was the toughest part.

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