Afrasianet - What these American companies and security contractors are doing is adding to the pain and devastation, and leading to more suffering and death among Palestinians.

An American security contractor revealed to Zeteo  the details and mysteries of the work of American companies working to distribute aid in Gaza within the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" program and talked about his observations in the inhumane treatment of Palestinians seeking aid, and the role of the occupation army in the whole matter.

And to the details of what the contractor talked about, whose identity was withheld by the site to avoid harassment and targeting:

I am one of hundreds of security contractors in Gaza to provide security under the new program of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. I joined because of an offer for a good job with a good pay through a company called UG Solutions.

We were provided with almost no information. I was told that I had joined the job just two days before my departure date. Everything was at the last minute.

When I arrived in Washington on May 16, we received a more detailed presentation. We had to provide security for aid distribution centers in Gaza. "If someone wants to carry a weapon because of their passion for fighting, they should collect their things and go home, because our job is to help," it was emphasized. This submission was satisfactory to me.

The next day, we left for the Middle East. Our group totaled approximately 300 people from different backgrounds, former members of the Special Forces, former military personnel in combat units, individuals who had never served in the military, as well as individuals who worked in law enforcement. Some were very old. There was a shortage of personnel in the company, and anyone was recruited without adequate scrutiny. 

Getting the materiel was very difficult. There was not enough military uniform for everyone. No binocular was provided to aim at their weapons (such as red dots that help with scoring). The weapon itself was questionable. We each received an offensive weapon (such as AR) as well as a small pistol. But it has never been verified whether the security personnel are proficient in handling these weapons and some of us have even received automatic weapons.

Later, other individuals received non-lethal weapons such as pepper spray and stun grenades. But it was never verified whether security personnel knew how to use them properly. And at what distance should you throw the stun grenade? And where is pepper sprayed? And to what extent? They never told anyone about this.

We are talking about who deals with civilian groups deprived of even water, and we are ready to attack them with pepper spray? They only came to receive the aid we should have given them. This was completely illogical.

The lack of verification of the use of weapons was not the only problem. The security personnel applying for contracts lacked cultural training – which is important for communicating with the civilian population in such situations – including those who had never been deployed militarily.

They were not even made available to ascertain their ability to sleep and rest. The work was done on a 12-hour shift – 4 work groups followed by two days off – but in reality the work sometimes reached 20 hours without stopping or vacations at all.

We were told that our mission was to follow international law, but those laws or regulatory details were never defined. The clear directive was that if you felt a danger to yourself, you had the right to self-defense, which left ample room for interpretation.

Thus, there were individuals who lacked cultural understanding and operational experience, as well as poor verification of their weapons handling capabilities in the area of desperate people in need of assistance. There was a possibility that things would go as bad as anyone imagined, which they did.

Dog's breakfast

The first day, the day after my group officially arrived, the place was in complete chaos. At the entrance gate there were rows with one child and woman on one side, and in the other four there were men. People were brought in small groups (5, 10, 20) as possible in that mess. The arrangement was very poor, and people were crowding and falling because of the stampede. In the end, congestion at the gates was increasing until they collapsed.

Security personnel backed out because of the chaos, leaving people with relief items. People never showed aggression against us – their only goal was to reach that aid, which consists mostly of flour, rice, lentils, small bags of tea and noodles – items that require water. But there was no water available at all.

Security personnel retreated back to a further afield. At that point, some individuals began firing warning shots in the air.

Then they retreated again. As the crowd poured in, we received orders to push people out, even if there were still people picking up relief items from the ground.

We lined up and pushed people back. There were women crying for trying to pick up food for their children but couldn't. This was the ugliest sight ever.

One of the security personnel, the first to fire a warning shot, was also the first to use physical force against a Palestinian who was picking up relief items on the ground, pushing him hard until he dropped him to the ground. 

The idea that the IDF is not intervening is nonsense. He was already intervening. He had offices within our company's headquarters. We shared radio frequencies with him in communication. The commanders said the army was not intervening, but it was actually behind the scenes. Nearby, a few hundred meters, were his snipers as well as tanks firing throughout the day.

What followed was astonishing. Food was not distributed to security personnel in the hours-long shift. They were given a financial allowance to buy what they wanted in Israel, but there was no time to shop or sleep. Some members of my group were taking relief items that people were leaving on the ground.

A relief trap?

One situation stuck in my mind: we were monitoring an empty site throughout the day. Later, just after nightfall, trucks loaded with humanitarian aid arrived. The IDF then reported on the radio that 200-300 civilians were approaching about two kilometers toward that area.

Later, we noticed an Israeli drone heading towards the place. Artillery was then fired at that area.

Was the explanation well-intentioned? The Israelis may have been firing warning fire to avoid people arriving. But that's probably far from happening. In the end, tanks fire throughout the day in the vicinity of these positions. Snipers are firing from buildings formerly occupied by doctors in a hospital, and fire and bombs are falling and heading towards Palestinians.

We know that the Israeli army already imposes a curfew in some parts of Gaza. I do not rule out that this aid is deliberately leaked at night to lure people out to receive it, and then they are considered fighters and shot. 

In any case, the military uses any pretext to ensure that they pose a threat to its security. In the absence of an international media presence in these areas – and in light of the loss of credibility of the Palestinian media in the eyes of the West – the truth is being obscured. Meanwhile, tanks, gunfire and snipers continue unabated, with no firing on the other side.

Initially, the distribution of aid was a source of optimism. I could have cried because of the Palestinians' words of thanks, "Thank you. We love America." But this did not continue.

I should be clear: I had no bias. I hate human suffering and hate its continuation. All I wanted to do was help. But what we are doing – these American companies and security contractors – is adding pain and devastation and leading to more suffering and killing among Palestinians in Gaza.

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