The issue of distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza is once again at the center of international public attention, reports the BBC. Retired US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) lieutenant colonel Anthony Aguilar, who worked as a guard at the main logistics point of the American-Israeli Humanitarian Fund (GHF), caused a stir with his testimony. In an interview with BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen, he stated that he personally witnessed American contractors and Israeli troops firing at Palestinians in Gaza.
According to Aguilar, an Israeli Merkava tank fired its main gun at a crowd of people, mortar shells were used, and civilian vehicles were targeted. He says that mass casualty incidents have repeatedly occurred around humanitarian aid centers in Gaza. According to UN data, by July 21, at least 766 people had died near just one such aid point.
GHF management, in turn, called Aguilar’s statements “absolutely false” and described him as a “disgruntled and willful former contractor.” Aguilar himself insists there were no other reasons for his dismissal and stands by his testimony.
It should be noted that Israeli officials explain the creation of GHF as an attempt to remove the UN from the distribution of aid in Gaza and to prevent Hamas from looting the aid. However, as reported by the New York Times and other sources on Saturday, even Israeli officials themselves do not have clear evidence that Hamas is regularly looting UN humanitarian aid. US agencies have also not found confirming evidence.
After the interview, the Israeli Defense Forces stated they are “systematically studying” the humanitarian aid process, installing barriers and signs at points, and are also investigating reports of civilian casualties around aid centers.
According to Anthony Aguilar: “I say these facilities are amateurishly organized. Without experience, without training, not understanding how to carry out operations of this scale. And that’s my softest assessment. In the most direct words, I would call them criminals. In all my years of service, I have never seen such a level of cruelty and use of force against unarmed, hungry civilians when it wasn’t necessary.” He characterizes these events as war crimes.
Conclusion: Serious contradictions and accusations have arisen around humanitarian aid in Gaza, and officials and international organizations have not yet provided clear evidence. This issue remains one of the most pressing in the region regarding stability and human rights.
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