Palestine_Follow up

The Associated Press revealed that American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza use live ammunition and stun grenades against Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid, according to accounts and video footage it obtained.

Stun grenades and pepper spray against Palestinians

The agency quoted two American contractors, who spoke to it on condition of anonymity to disclose their companies' internal operations, claiming that they "filed a complaint out of concern over what they considered dangerous and irresponsible practices."

They acknowledged that the security personnel assigned were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed, and had free rein to do as they pleased.

They revealed that their colleagues regularly threw stun grenades and pepper spray at Palestinians.

Testimonies and Videos of Abuses

One contractor admitted that bullets were fired in all directions: into the air, at the ground, and at Palestinians, adding, "Innocent people are being seriously and needlessly harmed."

Videos provided by an employee, taken at the sites, show hundreds of Palestinians crowded between metal gates, scrambling for help amid the sound of gunfire, stun grenades, and pepper spray.

Other videos include conversations between English-speaking men discussing how to disperse the crowds and encouraging each other after bursts of gunfire.

The contractors' testimonies—along with videos, internal reports, and text messages obtained by the Associated Press—offer a rare glimpse into the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has faced global criticism from UN agencies and organizations for militarizing and unfairly distributing aid, threatening the lives of hundreds of Palestinians by turning it into a "death trap." With US support, the Zionist enemy's army has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 191,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.