The U.S. Army announced the death of Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, a 23-year-old soldier from Marion, South Carolina, who was critically injured while supporting a humanitarian aid mission off the coast of Gaza in May. 

According to the military, Stanley, who had been receiving medical treatment at a long-term care facility following his injury, passed away on October 31. He was serving with the 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary, one of the Army’s watercraft-focused units stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.

Stanley was injured, along with two other service members, during the Gaza pier operation, intended to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. At the time of the incident, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command, reported that three soldiers sustained non-combat injuries. While the other two soldiers returned to duty, Stanley’s injuries were severe, requiring evacuation to Israel for immediate care and subsequent transfer to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. The exact circumstances of Stanley’s injury have not been fully disclosed. 

Stanley was a motor transport operator, a role critical to the logistics and support components of military operations, and was highly regarded among his peers. His brigade commander, Col. John “Eddie” Gray, called Stanley an “instrumental and well-respected first-line leader,” noting his dedication during the mission to support Gaza residents.

Due to his condition, Stanley was medically retired from the Army on October 25.The Gaza pier operation, part of the Joint Logistics Over The Shore initiative, was launched in May to transport food, water and medicine to civilians in Gaza. By mid-July, military officials ended the pier mission after extreme weather conditions required the pier’s removal and repair on several occasions. The operations, which reportedly cost $230 million, delivered over one million pounds of aid over its operational period.