Why a US-backed Gaza plan is sparking accusations of weaponizing aid
Humanitarian experts say an obscure paramilitary contractor led by a former CIA official may be aiding Israel’s military in using food as a weapon of war in Gaza.
This is an excerpt from Al-Monitor Security, a weekly newsletter covering defense and conflict developments in the Middle East. To get Al-Monitor Security in your inbox, sign up here.
WASHINGTON — A self-styled humanitarian organization employing several hundred American paramilitary contractors is attracting even more scrutiny after its first day of food distribution in Gaza resulted in one of its sites being mobbed by thousands of hungry civilians.
The UN said the majority of at least 48 people injured in the chaos had been hit by gunfire near the Tel al-Sultan aid distribution site near Rafah on Tuesday, while the Gaza Health Ministry said one person was killed by the Israeli military.
The incident marked a disturbing start to an increasingly controversial initiative spearheaded by an organization calling itself Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
