Latest news with #PhilReilly
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Ex-CIA officer running Gaza aid security advised Boston Consulting Group
Former CIA paramilitary officer Phil Reilly, who heads a private military company that is guarding Israel's newly set up food distribution sites in Gaza, was a senior advisor at the US consultancy that is the latest partner to withdraw from the controversial aid project. The Boston Consulting Group admitted last week that it was involved in developing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), but has since halted its involvement and distanced itself as 110 Palestinians have been killed and 583 wounded trying to access aid during GHF's 10 days of operations, according to government sources. But Reilly's role with BCG, which ended only six months ago, raises questions about whether the consultancy was also involved in developing the security side of the aid operation. Questions about the firm's role come as BCG announced on Thursday that it had fired two partners for 'unauthorised work' in relation to GHF. BCG said the partners 'failed to disclose the full nature of the work during the client acceptance process' and carried out subsequent unauthorised work in violation of company policies and protocols. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The firm said the subsequent work had "lacked visible multi-lateral support" and that it has engaged outside counsel to investigate its involvement in the project. 'We deeply regret that in this situation we did not live up to our standards. We are committed to taking all necessary steps to address the issues identified in the ongoing investigation,' the company said. MEE asked BCG on Friday whether the firm was involved in the security operations to support GHF, what role it had played with the foundation and who had asked the firm to get involved initially. BCG directed MEE to its statement from Thursday which did not answer the questions. Consulting on Gaza A 29-year veteran of the CIA, Reilly served as a senior advisor at BCG for eight years starting in January 2017, just as US President Donald Trump's first term started, according to his LinkedIn account. It was early last year, while still holding his advisory role, that Reilly reportedly first began discussing Gaza aid with Israeli civilians in early 2024. Later in 2024, he worked on a study for Orbis, another US consultancy, which reportedly outlined a plan to outsource food aid delivery to private companies and foundations, the NYT reported. Reilly's advisory role with BCG ended in December, a month after Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), the private military company now operating in Gaza, was registered in Wyoming, a known US tax haven. Mercenary firm set to oversee Gaza aid for Israel goes on LinkedIn hiring spree Read More » Public records show that SRS's registered agent, as first reported by All-Source Intelligence, is the Wyoming-based wealth management fund, Two Oceans Trust LLC. But the public records fail to reveal many more details about SRS, including its funders. It was reported this week that McNally Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, has an "economic interest" in SRS, although the scale of the interest remains unclear. The lack of clarity about funding is also true of GHF which is registered with scant few other details in Delaware, another notorious US tax haven. SRS is understood to be the main company currently securing the food distribution sites that are part of Israeli and American moves to take control of aid distribution in the enclave, which have been beset by controversy. The UN and international aid agencies have sounded the alarm for weeks over concerns that the plans which have unfolded at pace failed to meet humanitarian principles and would encourage forced displacement of Palestinians. Hours before GHF was to start distributing aid in Gaza late last month, executive director Jake Wood resigned over concerns that it was impossible for the organisation to operate independently or adhere to strict humanitarian principles. Wood was replaced this week by Johnnie Moore, an evangelical leader who has advised Trump on interfaith issues. Moore has denied reports that Palestinians were killed and injured while seeking aid at GHF's sites in Gaza and said he was demanding results "with Silicon Valley precision".
Arab News
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Gaza aid logistics company funded by Chicago private equity firm
WASHINGTON: A Chicago-based private equity firm - controlled by a member of the family that founded American publishing company Rand McNally - has an "economic interest" in the logistics company involved in a controversial new aid distribution operation in Gaza. McNally Capital, founded in 2008 by Ward McNally, helped "support the establishment" of Safe Reach Solutions, a McNally Capital spokesperson told Reuters. SRS is a for-profit company established in Wyoming in November, state incorporation records show. It is in the spotlight for its involvement with the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which last week started distributing aid in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. The foundation paused work on Wednesday after a series of deadly shootings close to its operations and has suffered from the departure of senior personnel. • McNally Capital has economic interest in Safe Reach Solutions • GHF aid distribution halted after deadly shootings near operations • U.N. and aid groups refuse to work with GHF, citing lack of neutrality "McNally Capital has provided administrative advice to SRS and worked in collaboration with multiple parties to enable SRS to carry out its mission," the spokesperson said. "While McNally Capital has an economic interest in SRS, the firm does not actively manage SRS or have a day-to-day operating role." SRS is run by a former CIA official named Phil Reilly, but its ownership has not previously been disclosed. Reuters has not been able to establish who funds the newly created foundation. The spokesperson did not provide details of the scale of the investment in SRS by McNally Capital, which says it has $380 million under management. McNally Capital founder Ward McNally is the great great great grandson of the co-founder of Rand McNally. The McNally family sold the publishing company in 1997. A spokesperson for SRS confirmed it worked with the foundation, also known as GHF, but did not answer specific questions about ownership. GHF, which resumed aid distribution on Thursday, did not respond to a request for comment While Israel and the United States have both said they don't finance the operation, they have pushed the United Nations and international aid groups to work with it, arguing that aid distributed by a long-established U.N. aid network was diverted to Hamas. Hamas has denied that. Israel blocked almost all aid into Gaza for 11 weeks until May 19, and has since only allowed limited deliveries in, mostly managed by the new GHF operation. This week GHF pressed Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites after Gazan health officials said at least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near one of the food distribution sites on Tuesday, the third consecutive day of chaos and bloodshed to blight the aid operation. The Israeli military said its forces on Tuesday had opened fire on a group of people they viewed as a threat after they left a designated access route near the distribution center in Rafah. It said it was investigating what had happened. The U.N and most other aid groups have refused to work with GHF because they say it is not neutral and that the distribution model militarizes aid and forces displacement. The SRS spokesperson said in a statement that under Reilly's leadership, "SRS brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts in security, supply chain management, and humanitarian affairs." McNally Capital has investments in defense contracting companies. Among the firms it acquired was Orbis Operations, a firm that specializes in hiring former CIA officers. Orbis did not return calls for comment. Reilly used to work for Orbis.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Gaza aid logistics company funded by Chicago private equity firm
WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - A Chicago-based private equity firm - controlled by a member of the family that founded American publishing company Rand McNally - has an "economic interest" in the logistics company involved in a controversial new aid distribution operation in Gaza. McNally Capital, founded in 2008 by Ward McNally, helped "support the establishment" of Safe Reach Solutions, a McNally Capital spokesperson told Reuters. SRS is a for-profit company established in Wyoming in November, state incorporation records show. It is in the spotlight for its involvement with the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which last week started distributing aid in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. The foundation paused work on Wednesday after a series of deadly shootings close to its operations and has suffered from the departure of senior personnel. "McNally Capital has provided administrative advice to SRS and worked in collaboration with multiple parties to enable SRS to carry out its mission," the spokesperson said. "While McNally Capital has an economic interest in SRS, the firm does not actively manage SRS or have a day-to-day operating role." SRS is run by a former CIA official named Phil Reilly, but its ownership has not previously been disclosed. Reuters has not been able to establish who funds the newly created foundation. The spokesperson did not provide details of the scale of the investment in SRS by McNally Capital, which says it has $380 million under management. McNally Capital founder Ward McNally is the great great great grandson of the co-founder of Rand McNally. The McNally family sold the publishing company in 1997. A spokesperson for SRS confirmed it worked with the foundation, also known as GHF, but did not answer specific questions about ownership. GHF, which resumed aid distribution on Thursday, did not respond to a request for comment While Israel and the United States have both said they don't finance the operation, they have pushed the United Nations and international aid groups to work with it, arguing that aid distributed by a long-established U.N. aid network was diverted to Hamas. Hamas has denied that. Israel blocked almost all aid into Gaza for 11 weeks until May 19, and has since only allowed limited deliveries in, mostly managed by the new GHF operation. This week GHF pressed Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites after Gazan health officials said at least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near one of the food distribution sites on Tuesday, the third consecutive day of chaos and bloodshed to blight the aid operation. The Israeli military said its forces on Tuesday had opened fire on a group of people they viewed as a threat after they left a designated access route near the distribution center in Rafah. It said it was investigating what had happened. The U.N and most other aid groups have refused to work with GHF because they say it is not neutral and that the distribution model militarizes aid and forces displacement. The SRS spokesperson said in a statement that under Reilly's leadership, "SRS brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts in security, supply chain management, and humanitarian affairs." McNally Capital has investments in defense contracting companies. Among the firms it acquired was Orbis Operations, a firm that specializes in hiring former CIA officers. Orbis did not return calls for comment. Reilly used to work for Orbis.
Middle East Eye
20-05-2025
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Mercenary firm set to oversee Gaza aid for Israel goes on LinkedIn hiring spree
The US private military contracting firm set to oversee Gaza aid distribution on Israel's behalf is actively hiring for positions on LinkedIn, according to job postings shared with Middle East Eye by current and former US officials. The firm, Safe Reach Solutions, or SRS, says it is actively looking for 'Humanitarian Liaison Officers' who will 'serve as vital connectors between our operational teams and the broader humanitarian community,' according to one job description. Another position on offer a week ago but has since closed is for a 'Team Deputy/Manager' to support 'day-to-day management, planning, and mission execution'. A liaison officer position appears to be analytically focused. It says that hires will 'advise on best practices for engaging with affected populations, local authorities, and community-based organizations' while monitoring developments that could impact 'operational posture'. The team deputy position is geared towards recruits with a background in operations. One of the requirements is 'field experience in the Middle East, especially in conflict-affected or post-crisis settings'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The positions want applicants with at least seven years of experience. They require applicants to be US citizens and say fluency in Arabic is preferred. Ironically, SRS is seeking people with UN experience, but the plan to take over aid distribution seeks to supplant the United Nations, which is already capable of delivering aid in Gaza. "These mid- to senior-career professionals will help bridge communication, coordination, and trust with NGOs, international agencies, and UN bodies operating in complex environments." Demand for the positions appears to be high. According to LinkedIn, more than 100 people applied for the humanitarian liaison officer position within two weeks. The team deputy position also drew comments from interested users directed to "Ali Ali," SRS's recruiting consultant. 'Hi Ali I worked in Gaza last summer with the US army. I was in charge of the humanitarian aid delivery through the trident pier. Please reach out to me at your best convenience to talk more,' a LinkedIn user wrote. The former Biden administration floated a costly pier project to bring aid into the Gaza Strip last year, but it was widely considered a failure. American private military contractors have already started arriving in Israel, according to photos shared on social media of khaki-clad and bearded men at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. MEE couldn't independently verify the photos. Who is Phil Reilly and his firm SRS? MEE couldn't identify the recruiter, Ali Ali, who has 13 LinkedIn connections and no profile photo. However, SRS is headed by former CIA paramilitary officer Phil Reilly, who has served in Asia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Two former US officials told MEE that Reilly had won the trust of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Israeli businessmen close to him. Exclusive: Jordan profited up to $400,000 per Gaza aid airdrop, sources say Read More » His firm has long been the favourite to secure humanitarian aid into Gaza in a project that one Israeli businessman briefed on the plans said could amount to a contract worth 'hundreds of millions of dollars". SRS was one of the private military contractors responsible for securing Gaza's Netzarim Corridor during a short-lived truce. Fighting in Gaza briefly stopped in January but resumed in March when Israel unilaterally resumed attacking the enclave. According to a January Reuters report, US contractors were paid $1,100 a day to work in Gaza, with a $10,000 advance for veterans. SRS's work during the first ceasefire was paid for mainly by the US and Gulf states, one US official told MEE. The private military contractors' weapons and supplies are likely to be supplied by the US. One US official told MEE that the salary range exceeds what the former US security firm Blackwater once paid veterans. SRS makes no secret of its connection to Gaza on LinkedIn. It posted a glowing article from ABC News in April, titled, 'How a team of 'suburban dads' secured a key checkpoint in Gaza's 'death corridor'". UN says no aid distributed in Gaza SRS stepped up recruitment on LinkedIn just as the US was lobbying the UN and European states earlier in May to approve the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, to oversee aid distribution. The foundation would largely supplant the UN's role in distributing Gaza aid. It says it plans to be active by the end of May. The SRS's job applications page reveals how Israel and the US are rapidly moving towards privatising and militarising aid distribution in Gaza. Jordan's king warned US against assassinating Syria's Sharaa before Trump meeting Read More » Another position SRS is actively hiring for is an imagery systems technician, who can analyse full-motion video. Israel says it plans to create 'hubs' to distribute aid. In the past, it has used checkpoints to separate Palestinian men and women. Earlier this month, the Israeli cabinet approved a plan that would require facial recognition technology to be applied to Palestinians before they receive any aid. It is seeking foreign funding for the plan. The operation has been slammed by aid groups across the aisle, and the UN says it will not take part in the foundation's work. Israel announced on Monday that it would allow some humanitarian aid into the enclave. The UN said on Tuesday that Israel had allowed four trucks with baby food to enter the enclave, and a few dozen other trucks with flour, medicine, and nutrition supplies. However, the UN has not been able to distribute the supplies. "Israeli authorities are requiring us to offload supplies on the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom crossing and reload them separately once they secure our team's access from inside the Gaza Strip,' UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. "Today, one of our teams waited several hours for the Israeli green light to access the Kerem Shalom area and collect the nutrition supplies. Unfortunately, they were not able to bring those supplies into our warehouse," he said. Humanitarian experts say Gaza is on the brink of mass starvation. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Tuesday that 14,000 babies could die in the next 48 hours if aid did not reach them in time.
