Srinagar, July 4: Security guards working for a U.S.-based aid group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—reportedly part of an Israel-backed aid distribution effort—allegedly opened fire on Palestinian refugees seeking food and aid, according to an investigation by the Associated Press and BBC.
A former security subcontractor told the BBC that guards at the distribution sites used stun grenades and live ammunition, including machine gun fire, against unarmed civilians—elderly people, women, and children—accusing them of “moving too slowly” away from the area. The ex-contractor also claimed that some guards dehumanized the refugees, referring to them as “zombie hordes.”
In response to the BBC’s inquiry, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began operations in the region in late May, denied all allegations and stated that no civilians had ever been fired upon at their distribution sites.
Contractor accounts, along with videos, internal memos, and text messages reviewed by The Associated Press, provide a rare window into the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a recently established, closely guarded U.S. aid group operating with Israeli support to supply food across the Gaza Strip. In June, Washington committed $30 million to keep the operation running, marking the first publicly disclosed U.S. contribution; other funding sources remain unclear.
Because GHF distribution centers sit inside Israeli‑controlled military zones, reporters have been unable to visit the sites.
Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics firm contracted by GHF, as per reports have said that no serious injuries have occurred at any location. The company acknowledged that, during the most chaotic early days of distribution, security staff occasionally fired warning shots into the ground—aimed away from civilians—to regain control of desperate crowds and “ensure everyone’s safety.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has come under intense criticism from over 150 humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam, following reports that more than 500 Palestinian refugees have been killed since the aid initiative began operations.
In a sharp rebuke, Amnesty International stated that GHF “fails to adhere to core humanitarian principles and standards.” The rights group condemned the shift from 400 community-level aid points to just four heavily militarized distribution sites, describing them as overcrowded zones that push over two million refugees into unsafe and restricted areas.
Doctors Without Borders, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning medical charity, issued one of the harshest critiques, calling the GHF’s operations “slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.”
Allegations of refugees being shot at while queuing for food have surfaced repeatedly. Just last month, The New York Times reported that Israeli soldiers fired at civilians approaching an aid center.
