In brief
A former security contractor for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has reported witnessing guards firing at groups of unarmed Palestinians who were waiting for food aid. The controversial aid distribution sites have faced criticism regarding their safety procedures and the treatment of civilians seeking aid. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has denied the allegations, labeling the informant as disgruntled.
A former security contractor for Gaza's controversial new Israel- and US-backed aid distribution sites has told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire several times on hungry Palestinians who had posed no threat, including with machine guns. On one occasion, he said, a guard had opened fire from a watchtower with a machine gun because a group of women, children, and elderly people were moving too slowly away from the site. When asked to respond, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said the allegations were categorically false, referring to a statement asserting that no civilians ever came under fire at GHF distribution sites. The GHF began its operations in Gaza at the end of May, distributing limited aid from several sites in southern and central Gaza. This followed an 11-week total blockade of Gaza by Israel during which no food entered the territory. The system has faced widespread criticism for forcing vast numbers of people to walk through active combat zones to access a handful of aid sites. Since the GHF started, Israeli forces have reportedly killed more than 400 Palestinians attempting to retrieve food aid, according to the UN and local medical sources. Israel claims the new distribution system prevents aid from reaching Hamas.Continuing his description, the contractor recounted an incident where another contractor fired 15 to 20 shots at a crowd, resulting in a Palestinian man falling to the ground. "As that happened, the other contractor joked, 'damn, I think you got one'," the former contractor recalled. He stated that GHF managers dismissed his report, attributing the man's fall to tripping or exhaustion and suggested that the man was merely resting.The GHF responded by labeling the accuser a "disgruntled former contractor" terminated for misconduct, a claim the contractor disputes, providing evidence he left on good terms. He indicated that he witnessed a troubling culture of impunity at GHF, stating that contractors had no clear rules of engagement and were instructed to "shoot to kill if threatened". He expressed grave concern, stating, "If a Palestinian is walking away from the site without hostile intent, and we're shooting warning shots at them regardless, that is criminally negligent." Disturbingly, the contractor claimed many Palestinians suffered injuries at GHF sites, including incidents involving stun grenades and pepper spray. He described seeing a woman struck by a stun grenade metal piece, rendering her unconscious, as well as numerous instances of individuals being injured from debris or trampled by crowds.Earlier this week, over 170 NGOs, including Oxfam and Save the Children, called for the GHF to be shut down, asserting that armed groups and Israeli forces regularly open fire on Palestinians seeking aid. While Israel denies intentionally targeting aid recipients, GHF maintains it has delivered over 52 million meals in five weeks, asserting other groups fail to protect their aid from being looted. The Israeli military's campaign in Gaza began in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, resulting in significant casualties on both sides. According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, at least 57,130 people have died in Gaza since then, further complicating the crisis in the region.
