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The Intercept
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Intercept
U.S. Security Contractors in Gaza Risk War Crimes Charges, Democrats Say
Security firms employing U.S. military veterans for a controversial food distribution operation in Gaza have exposed them to the risk of criminal charges under U.S. laws against war crimes, torture, and forced deportation, four Democrats in Congress said Thursday. In a letter to the two firms' CEOs, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and three other lawmakers said they were 'horrified' by reporting about the companies' 'deadly' security operations on behalf of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. 'We are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel — or investors — of the immense legal risks they face.' The members of Congress say that news reports and firsthand witnesses indicated employees for Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions were 'sent to Gaza armed for combat' and directed by Israeli officials to use lethal force. 'As a result, we are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel — or investors — of the immense legal risks they face for conducting what amounts to military operations on behalf of the Israeli government on land outside of the State of Israel,' the lawmakers say. They asked the companies to answer a series of questions about whether they had warned staffers about their legal risks, including from international courts, and to preserve documents related to their interactions with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The letter represents the latest ratcheting up of congressional pressure — so far all from Democrats — on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the contractors supporting its operations in the Middle East. Founded only in February, the foundation became the main conduit for U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid into Gaza after Israel lifted a total blockade at the end of May. The foundation's decision to employ armed contractors at its sites, and its close cooperation with Israel, have drawn widespread condemnation from other aid groups who say they violate core humanitarian principles. Some of the security contractors supporting its operations are former U.S. service members, including Special Operations veterans. Welch was joined by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Democratic U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas and Sara Jacobs of California. Castro and Jacobs's districts in San Antonio and San Diego, respectively, are home to large populations of U.S. military veterans. Hundreds of people have died trying to access aid at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's distribution points, according to the United Nations, many of them under Israeli fire. Read our complete coverage The foundation's chair has brushed off reports of chaos and violence at its distribution sites as 'Hamas disinformation' and boasted about its success. Dozens of Senate Democrats in a letter earlier this week said the foundation had failed to address the growing crisis in Gaza and called on President Donald Trump's administration to expand aid through other nonprofits.
CNN
31-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Democratic lawmakers press for answers from US security firms involved in controversial Gaza aid organization
A group of Democratic lawmakers on Thursday pressed for answers from the heads of two private US-based security firms whose personnel have worked at the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and who the lawmakers say have been accused of deadly violence against civilians seeking aid in the starving enclave. In a letter first obtained by CNN, Sens. Peter Welch and Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Joaquin Castro and Sara Jacobs express concern about reports the two companies, UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions, are involved with 'deadly security operations in Gaza.' 'Reports and firsthand witnesses have indicated to us that your personnel —American veterans hired as private security contractors—were brought into Israel on tourist visas inappropriate for the intended purpose of their travel, sent to Gaza armed for combat, and ordered by Israeli officials to use lethal force against unarmed and starving Palestinian civilians,' said the letter to the CEOs of the two companies. 'We have also learned that under Israeli orders, your personnel are conducting crowd control at food distribution sites by firing live rounds over the heads of civilians and using stun grenades and pepper spray — all in an active military zone under direct supervision by Israeli military officers,' the letter said. 'As a result, we are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel — or investors — of the immense legal risks they face for conducting what amounts to military operations on behalf of the Israeli government on land outside of the State of Israel,' it said. CNN has asked UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions for comment. The lawmakers are seeking answers about the rules of engagement for personnel in Gaza and the extent to which staff and investors were informed of their potential exposure to lawsuits related to alleged war crimes and torture. They requested those answers within two weeks. The letters also asked the companies to 'preserve all documents and communications related to (their) contracts and work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.' The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli backed private organization established to provide aid amid the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, has prompted an outcry and faced sharp criticism from international aid organizations over the operations of their distribution sites. Hundreds have been killed around the sites trying to get desperately needed food. US officials have defended the work of the foundation and argued it is the only organization that has been able to stop widespread looting of aid by Hamas. An internal USAID assessment did not find evidence of systemic theft by Hamas.
CNN
31-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Democratic lawmakers press for answers from US security firms involved in controversial Gaza aid organization
A group of Democratic lawmakers on Thursday pressed for answers from the heads of two private US-based security firms whose personnel have worked at the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and who the lawmakers say have been accused of deadly violence against civilians seeking aid in the starving enclave. In a letter first obtained by CNN, Sens. Peter Welch and Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Joaquin Castro and Sara Jacobs express concern about reports the two companies, UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions, are involved with 'deadly security operations in Gaza.' 'Reports and firsthand witnesses have indicated to us that your personnel —American veterans hired as private security contractors—were brought into Israel on tourist visas inappropriate for the intended purpose of their travel, sent to Gaza armed for combat, and ordered by Israeli officials to use lethal force against unarmed and starving Palestinian civilians,' said the letter to the CEOs of the two companies. 'We have also learned that under Israeli orders, your personnel are conducting crowd control at food distribution sites by firing live rounds over the heads of civilians and using stun grenades and pepper spray — all in an active military zone under direct supervision by Israeli military officers,' the letter said. 'As a result, we are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel — or investors — of the immense legal risks they face for conducting what amounts to military operations on behalf of the Israeli government on land outside of the State of Israel,' it said. CNN has asked UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions for comment. The lawmakers are seeking answers about the rules of engagement for personnel in Gaza and the extent to which staff and investors were informed of their potential exposure to lawsuits related to alleged war crimes and torture. They requested those answers within two weeks. The letters also asked the companies to 'preserve all documents and communications related to (their) contracts and work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.' The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli backed private organization established to provide aid amid the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, has prompted an outcry and faced sharp criticism from international aid organizations over the operations of their distribution sites. Hundreds have been killed around the sites trying to get desperately needed food. US officials have defended the work of the foundation and argued it is the only organization that has been able to stop widespread looting of aid by Hamas. An internal USAID assessment did not find evidence of systemic theft by Hamas.
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- New Indian Express
US contractors say their colleagues are firing live ammo as Palestinians seek food in Gaza
Videos, texts, internal reports document havoc at food sites AP spoke to the two contractors for UG Solutions, an American outfit subcontracted to hire security personnel for the distribution sites. They said bullets, stun grenades and pepper spray were used at nearly every distribution, even if there was no threat. Videos of aid being dispensed at the sites seen by the AP appear to back up the frenetic scenes the contractors described. The footage was taken within the first two weeks of its distributions — about halfway into the operations. In one video, what appear to be heavily armed American security contractors at one of the sites in Gaza discuss how to disperse Palestinians nearby. One is heard saying he has arranged for a 'show of force' by Israeli tanks. 'I don't want this to be too aggressive," he adds, "because this is calming down.' At that moment, bursts of gunfire erupt close by, at least 15 shots. 'Whoo! Whoo!' one contractor yelps. 'I think you hit one,' one says. Then comes a shout: 'Hell, yeah, boy!' The camera's view is obscured by a large dirt mound. The contractor who took the video told AP that he saw other contractors shooting in the direction of Palestinians who had just collected their food and were departing. The men shot both from a tower above the site and from atop the mound, he said. The shooting began because contractors wanted to disperse the crowd, he said, but it was unclear why they continued shooting as people were walking away. The camera does not show who was shooting or what was being shot at. But the contractor who filmed it said he watched another contractor fire at the Palestinians and then saw a man about 60 yards (meters) away — in the same direction where the bullets were fired — drop to the ground. This happened at the same time the men were heard talking — effectively egging each other on, he said. In other videos furnished by the contractor, men in grey uniforms — colleagues, he said — can be seen trying to clear Palestinians who are squeezed into a narrow, fenced-in passage leading to one of the centers. The men fire pepper spray and throw stun grenades that detonate amid the crowd. The sound of gunfire can be heard. The contractor who took the video said the security personnel usually fire at the ground near the crowds or from nearby towers over their heads. During a single distribution in June, contractors used 37 stun grenades, 27 rubber-and-smoke 'scat shell' projectiles and 60 cans of pepper spray, according to internal text communications shared with the AP. That count does not include live ammunition, the contractor who provided the videos said. One photo shared by that contractor shows a woman lying in a donkey cart after he said she was hit in the head with part of a stun grenade. An internal report by Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics company subcontracted by GHF to run the sites, found that aid seekers were injured during 31% of the distributions that took place in a two-week period in June. The report did not specify the number of injuries or the cause. SRS told the AP the report refers to non-serious injuries. More videos show frenzied scenes of Palestinians running to collect leftover food boxes at one site. Hundreds of young men crowd near low metal barriers, transferring food from boxes to bags while contractors on the other side of the barriers tell them to stay back. Some Palestinians wince and cough from pepper spray. 'You tasting that pepper spray? Yuck,' one man close to the camera can be heard saying in English. SRS acknowledged that it's dealing with large, hungry populations, but said the environment is secure, controlled, and ensures people can get the aid they need safely.
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Rights groups warn Gaza Humanitarian Foundation it may be liable for international law violations
Fifteen international human rights organisations have called on the Israel- and US-backed Gaza food delivery group, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), and other private groups running humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza to cease their operations or face legal consequences. In a letter sent on Monday to GHF and the affiliated Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions, the rights advocates warned that private contractors operating in Gaza in collaboration with the Israeli government risk 'aiding and abetting or otherwise being complicit in crimes under international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide'. They also noted that the contractors may be liable under US law and in other jurisdictions. The letter marks the latest warning against GHF, which has been mired in controversy since replacing most UN-run relief operations in Gaza. Major aid groups have boycotted it and accused it of violating the principles of neutrality and independence that are bedrocks of humanitarian work. GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The rollout of GHF operations over the last three weeks – after a two-month blockade on most aid entering Gaza that has pushed the territory's 2.1 million residents to the verge of famine – has been deadly. Scores of Palestinians seeking food aid have been killed by Israeli forces in chaotic scenes surrounding four privately run distribution hubs a UN official has described as 'death traps'. 'GHF's militarized model, coupled with its close collaboration with Israeli authorities, undermines the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence,' the letter sent Monday warned. 'We urge all parties involved – State actors, corporate entities, donors and individuals – to immediately suspend any action or support that facilitates the forcible displacement of civilians, contributes to starvation or other grave breaches of international law, or undermines the core principles of international humanitarian law.' Earlier this month, the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights had warned in a separate letter to Johnnie Moore, the evangelical leader and Trump adviser appointed to run the foundation after its former head resigned, that he and other GHF representatives may face civil litigation or criminal prosecution. 'Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the weeks since GHF began its dehumanizing, militarized 'distribution hubs' in coordination with Israeli forces,' said Katherine Gallagher, a senior staff attorney at CCR, which also signed onto the most recent letter. 'If it continues its deadly, militarized operations, legal consequences will follow, whether in the United States or beyond.' Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, another signatory, said it is 'immoral and inhuman when those committing the genocide take responsibility to feed those whom they have starved'. 'They are using the GHF to humiliate, degrade and kill daily tens of starving people,' he added, referring to Israel. Last week, US senator Elizabeth Warren questioned the Trump administration's proposal to redirect $500m from USAID, which the administration has gutted, to GHF, which is registered in the US and Switzerland. 'The questions surrounding GHF – its funding sources and connection to the Trump Administration, its use of private contractors, its ability to serve and be seen as a neutral entity, its abandonment by its founders, and its basic competence in providing aid – must be answered before the State Department commits any funding to the organization,' Warren wrote. Human rights and humanitarian groups across the world have denounced the replacement of independent, long-established humanitarian relief operations by private, militarized groups and called for UN-operated relief efforts to be allowed in the strip again. 'This is not how you avert famine,' James Elder, Unicef's global spokesperson, wrote in the Guardian. 'There is no need to reinvent the wheel. We delivered aid at scale during the ceasefire, and we can do it again. We just need to be allowed to do our jobs.'
