A former security contractor, who worked for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has revealed alarming incidents involving violence against unarmed Palestinians seeking aid. He claims that guards at these aid sites fired on groups of civilians, including women and children, for not moving quickly enough.
On one occasion, he described a guard shooting at a crowd, leading to a Palestinian man collapsing. Instead of taking the incident seriously, GHF managers reportedly dismissed it as a coincidence, suggesting the man might have simply fallen over.
The GHF, established in late May after an 11-week blockade that left Gazans without food, is struggling to provide aid effectively. Reports indicate that more than 400 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access aid, according to local doctors and the UN. Israel maintains that the GHF’s approach prevents aid from reaching Hamas.
The contractor criticized the organization for its lack of safety protocols. He said that team leaders instructed guards to shoot if they felt threatened, creating a dangerous environment. This contractor alleged a culture where human life seemed undervalued, referring to Palestinians as “zombie hordes.” He described scenes of chaos where people were harmed by debris or crowd surges, highlighting serious injuries from stun grenades and pepper spray.
In response to the allegations, the GHF claimed the former contractor was disgruntled and had been fired for misconduct, which he denies.
Recent calls for the GHF to shut down have come from over 170 charities, including Oxfam and Save the Children, who argue that the aid distribution process exposes civilians to danger. They assert that this system does not ensure their safety, contrary to claims made by the Israeli government, which insists it has to safeguard aid from Hamas.
Amid this turmoil, the impact on civilian life in Gaza is dire. Statistics show that since the onset of the recent conflict—triggered by a Hamas attack in October 2023—there have been over 57,130 reported deaths in Gaza. This is overshadowed by the loss of life during the attack on Israel, where about 1,200 were killed.
As the situation evolves, the GHF asserts that it has delivered over 52 million meals in a short time, but its effectiveness and commitment to safety remain under scrutiny. The entire aid process in Gaza is emblematic of the complex and often tragic dynamics of the ongoing conflict.
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