American Security Contractor Unloads On US-Israeli ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’

Editor’s note: Given the value of this information and perspective, Zeteo granted the author’s request for anonymity in order to speak freely without intimidation or fear of retaliation.

I am one of hundreds of security contractors who have been in Gaza to facilitate aid under the new US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation project.

And it’s all bullshit.

I joined what sounded like a good mission, with good pay, through a company called UG Solutions. We were given little information.

I was told I got the job just days before we were set to depart. It was very last-minute.

After arriving in Washington, DC, on May 16, we received a slightly more detailed brief. We were going to provide security for aid sites in Gaza. It was said again and again: “If you’re here to get your gun on, then pack your shit and go home, because that’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to help.” I was happy with that idea.

The next day, we departed for the Middle East. Our group included about 300 people of diverse backgrounds, including those who served in special operations military units, former infantrymen, individuals who were in the military but had never deployed, and others who did not serve in the military at all but had worked in law enforcement. Some folks seemed way too old. It seemed like the company was so short on personnel that they weren’t picky about who they allowed in on this.

Getting gear and equipment was difficult. They didn’t have enough uniforms to go around. They didn’t provide optics or scopes for our weapons (like the red dots that help you aim). Weapons themselves were a whole other thing. We were eventually each issued an AR-style rifle, as well as a pistol sidearm. But no one was tested to ensure they had proper training.

Some of us were also given machine guns. We were later issued less lethal options: pepper spray, flashbang grenades. You guessed it: no one was tested to see if they knew how to properly use them. How close to people can you throw a flashbang? If you’re going to pepper-spray someone, where do you spray? For how long? Nobody knows because nobody told us. We’re talking about people who don’t have access to water, and we’re ready to spray them in the face with pepper spray. Why would we do that? They’re just trying to get aid, we’re there to give them. It doesn’t make any sense.

It wasn’t just a lack of weapons training. Those of us with a military deployment background have cultural awareness training as well – something that’s important when trying to connect with a civilian population. But that wasn’t offered to us, including those who’ve never deployed, before we headed into Gaza.

And I’m not even mentioning the fact that these guys are also sleep-deprived. Before we deployed, we were told we were going to be working 12-hour shifts – four days on, two days off. We have actually worked up to 20 hours a day sometimes. No days off. We were told we’re operating within international law. But they never delineated what those laws or guidelines were. The only distinct guidance was that if you or those around you feel threatened, you have the authority to defend yourself. But that left a lot of gray areas.

So, you have guys with hardly any knowledge of the culture, no deployment experience, and are not necessarily qualified to be using the weapons they had in charge of security at aid sites in a place where we know millions are desperate for aid. What could go wrong?

A lot did go wrong.

Pure Chaos

On my first day, the second official day of the mission, we were overrun; it was pure chaos. At the aid site’s entrance gates, we had people waiting in five lanes separated by metal fencing. One lane was strictly for women and children. The other four were all men, and they were letting people in, five, 10, 20 at a time – whatever we could handle. It was not organized, and people were getting smushed and trampled. Eventually, there were so many people in the lanes that the gates burst.