‘I think I hit one. Hell yeah boy!' US aid workers filmed shooting at Gazans
Video seems to have shown machine gun fire in the vicinity of civilians seeking aid, with an American voice shouting: 'I think you got one.'
Another voice adds: 'Hell, yeah, boy!'
The alleged incident took place at a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by Israel and the US but condemned by much of the rest of the international community.
A former security contractor at one of the sites told the BBC that he saw a guard with a machine gun open fire from a watchtower because a group of women, children and elderly people were moving away from the site too slowly.
"Hell yeah, boy!"
US contractors in Gaza cheer after deliberately opening fire on aid-seeking Palestinians.
Source: AP pic.twitter.com/7mG0Wxxoky
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) July 3, 2025
Another contractor then opened fire, the whistleblower claimed.
He said: 'A Palestinian man dropped to the ground motionless. And then the other contractor, who was standing there, was like 'damn, I think you got one'. And then they laughed about it.'
The Associated Press reportedly spoke to two contractors for UG Solutions, who have been sub-contracted to GHF sites, and alleged that there was regular use of live ammunition, stun grenades and pepper spray on Palestinians who posed no threat.
They claimed security staff hired to protect the sites were often unqualified, unvetted and acted with impunity while being heavily armed.
The GHF said the accusations were categorically false, adding that no civilians have ever come under fire at their distribution sites.
The new model for aid delivery has been designed to prevent food and supplies falling into the hands of Hamas, thereby propping up the terror group.
Rather than delivering aid into population centres, the system requires people to walk long distances across open ground towards specially created centres.
Photos and footage has shown large numbers of people being forced into narrow corridors between berms of earth, with security contractors standing above them.
Hundreds have been killed in shootings in the wider vicinity of the aid centres as eyewitnesses have accused Israeli troops, who provide a wider ring of security, of opening fire.
Israel has denied this, but has conceded to firing warning shots in the area.
However, the new testimony has marked the first time an American staff member at the sites has been implicated.
The GHF said it was operating in the face of people with a 'vested interest' in seeing it fail and denied any misconduct or lack of experience among staff.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Hamas says it has given ‘positive' response to latest ceasefire proposal
Hamas says it has given a 'positive' response to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza but said further talks were needed on implementation. It was not clear if Hamas' statement meant it had accepted the proposal from US President Donald Trump for a 60-day ceasefire. Advertisement Hamas has been seeking guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war, now nearly 21 months old. In a statement issued late Friday, Hamas said it has 'delivered the response to the mediators, which was positive'.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Iran quietly resuming direct talks with the US
Iran is quietly resuming indirect nuclear talks with the US despite strong opposition from hardliners, The Telegraph can reveal. Tehran's supreme national security council told the foreign ministry to reopen talks with the Trump administration, aiming to revive diplomacy after a 12-day war with Israel last month that saw the US bomb key Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran and Washington held five rounds of talks from April 12. The sixth round was cancelled after Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13. A senior Iranian official who spoke to The Telegraph from Tehran said: 'The supreme national security council has told the foreign ministry to resume negotiating with America to persuade Trump that Israel was wrong to strike Iran.' 'The other goal is to stop the reimposition of UN sanctions before it's too late,' the official added, referring to a provision in the 2015 nuclear deal that would see sanctions automatically come into effect on Oct 18 if Iran breaches its nuclear commitments. It came after reports emerged that Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's envoy, was due to travel to Oslo next week to restart nuclear talks with Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister. Mr Araghchi wrote in a Lebanese newspaper this week: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran's acceptance of the request to stop the war has created another opportunity for comprehensive diplomacy.' It was not immediately clear whether Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, was aware of the renewed talks. He has not been seen in public since before the start of hostilities with Israel, which ended in a fragile ceasefire brokered by Donald Trump. Khamenei holds ultimate authority over Iran's political, military and ideological matters, including foreign policy and national security. The president and parliament operate under his influence. The disappearance has fuelled speculation about his health, whereabouts and the stability of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian official who spoke to the Telegraph said the new talks are expected to take place quietly, without publicity, due to strong opposition from hardliners in Tehran. Sepehr Khalaji, who was a senior official in the administration of former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, has warned officials against engaging in any talks with the United States. Khalaji said Tehran should avoid dialogue with Washington after 'America martyred 1,000 of your citizens, struck our nuclear facilities, violated our airspace, took our commanders and scientists, and threatened our supreme and beloved leader'. The Iranian regime celebrated the end of the war as a 'victory', however this unity has quickly descended into disagreements between hardliners and moderates over the country's future. Hardliners believe they have a chance to bring the country together and show the West's weakness, while moderates say the the regime should be open to dialogue. Under hardline influence, Iran's parliament has banned International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors from entering sensitive nuclear sites. These included Fordow, which Iranian officials confirmed was 'seriously and extensively' damaged during the US attack. The last UN nuclear inspector left Tehran on Friday morning. Iran has intensified its long-standing criticism of the IAEA, with some lawmakers and regime-affiliated media issuing death threats against Rafael Grossi, its director general. The agency has confirmed that its inspectors have now left Iran, which means the regime could continue its nuclear work without international oversight. Moderate officials in Tehran are however reportedly urging the Khamenei to engage with the West. Concerned about the potential for further conflict, former president Hassan Rouhani has asked top clerics to help push for a change in the establishment's position. He warned that if the crisis continues, the Islamic Republic could collapse and the role of the clergy could weaken. Ali Larijani, the former parliament speaker, has also reportedly tried to use his influence and family ties to convince Khamenei to allow talks with the US.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Hamas responds 'positively' to 60-day Gaza ceasefire deal, says Palestinian official - in a huge step towards finally ending the 21-month conflict
Hamas has submitted its response to a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal, a Palestinian official said, describing the response as a positive one that should 'facilitate reaching a deal.' US President Donald Trump earlier announced a 'final proposal' for a 60-day ceasefire in the nearly 21-month-old war between Israel and Hamas, stating he anticipated a reply from the parties in coming hours. 'We have handed the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, our response to the ceasefire proposal,' a Hamas official told Reuters on condition of anonymity on Friday. 'The Hamas response is positive and I think it should help and facilitate reaching a deal,' said the Palestinian official close to the talks. The proposal calls for the release of ten living Israeli hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners during a 60-day ceasefire, reports The Jerusalem Post. During that period, both sides are expected to hold talks aimed at ending the war. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed 'to the necessary conditions to finalise' a 60-day ceasefire, during which efforts would be made to end the US ally's war in the Palestinian enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment on Trump's announcement and in their public statements, the two sides remain far apart. The proposal calls for the release of ten living Israeli hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners during a 60-day ceasefire Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the militant group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss. Netanyahu is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday. Asked early on Friday US time if Hamas had agreed to the latest ceasefire deal framework, Trump said: 'We are going to know over the next 24 hours.' Trump has said he would be 'very firm' with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well. 'We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week,' he told reporters earlier this week. 'We want to get the hostages out.' Israeli attacks have reportedly killed at least 138 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours, local health officials said, though these numbers are yet to be officially confirmed. Health officials at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, said the Israeli military had carried out an airstrike on a tent encampment west of the city around 2am, killing 15 Palestinians displaced by nearly two years of war. The Israeli military said troops operating in the Khan Younis area had eliminated militants, confiscated weapons and dismantled Hamas outposts in the last 24 hours, while striking 100 targets across Gaza, including military structures, weapons storage facilities and launchers. Later on Friday, Palestinians gathered to perform funeral prayers before burying those killed overnight. 'There should have been a ceasefire long ago before I lost my brother,' said 13-year-old Mayar Al Farr. Her brother, Mahmoud, was shot dead in another incident, she said. 'He went to get aid, so he can get a bag of flour for us to eat. He got a bullet in his neck. It killed him on the spot,' she said. Adlar Mouamar said her nephew, Ashraf, was also killed in Gaza. 'Our hearts are broken. We ask the world, we don't want want them to end the bloodshed. We want them to stop this war.' In Tel Aviv, families and friends of hostages held in Gaza were among demonstrators who gathered outside a US Embassy building on US Independence Day, calling on Trump to secure a deal for all of the captives. Demonstrators set up a symbolic Sabbath dinner table, placing 50 empty chairs to represent those who are still held in Gaza. Banners hung nearby displaying a post by Trump from his Truth Social platform that read, 'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!' The Sabbath, or Shabbat, observed from Friday evening to Saturday nightfall, is often marked by Jewish families with a traditional Friday night dinner. 'Only you can make the deal. We want one beautiful deal. One beautiful hostage deal,' said Gideon Rosenberg, 48, from Tel Aviv. In a first visit since the October 7, 2023 massacre 636 days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu are seen at Kibbutz Nir Oz on July 4, 2025 Rosenberg was wearing a shirt with the image of hostage Avinatan Or, one of his employees who was abducted by Palestinian militants from the Nova musical festival on October 7, 2023. He is among the 20 hostages who are believed to be alive after more than 600 days of captivity. Ruby Chen, 55, the father of 19-year-old American-Israeli Itay, who is believed to have been killed after being taken captive, urged Netanyahu to return from meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday with a deal that brings back all hostages. 'Let this United States Independence Day mark the beginning of a lasting peace... one that secures the sacred value of human life and one that bestows dignity to the deceased hostages by ensuring their return to proper burial,' he said, also appealing to Trump. Itay Chen, also a German national, was serving as an Israeli soldier when Hamas carried out its surprise attack on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 251 hostage. Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas has devastated Gaza, which the militant group has ruled for almost two decades but now only controls in parts, displacing most of the population of more than two million and triggering widespread hunger. More than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly two years of fighting, most of them civilians, according to local health officials.
