Democrats warn GHF security personnel of war crimes

Washington - Saeed Erekat

Four Democratic members of Congress said Thursday that security companies employing American veterans in a controversial food distribution operation in Gaza put them at risk of criminal charges under US laws relating to war crimes, torture, and forced displacement.

In a letter to the two companies' CEOs, Senator Peter Welch, D-Vermont, and three other representatives expressed their "shock" at reports of the companies' "lethal" security operations on behalf of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Members of Congress say news reports and eyewitnesses indicate that employees of Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions were "sent into Gaza armed to fight" and ordered by Israeli officials to use lethal force.

“As a result, we are deeply concerned that you may not have alerted your employees—or your investors—to the significant legal risks they face by conducting military-like operations on behalf of the Israeli government on territory outside the State of Israel,” the lawmakers said.

They asked companies to answer a series of questions about whether they warned their employees of the legal risks they might face, including from international courts, and to maintain records related to their interactions with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

This letter, seen by the Jerusalem correspondent, represents the latest escalation of pressure from Congress - all of which has so far come from Democrats - on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the contractors who support its operations in the Middle East.

The organization was founded only in February and became the primary conduit for US- and Israeli-backed aid to Gaza after Israel lifted its comprehensive blockade at the end of May. It provided aid through four aid distribution centers controlled by the Israeli military and US mercenaries.

In response to a question from a Jerusalem correspondent regarding the failure of the GHF and its use of the four expansion centers as hunting grounds for the killing of Palestinians, the acting US State Department spokesman, Tommy Pigott, said that the organization has distributed nearly 100 million meals since the end of May, which translates to less than one meal for the residents of the Gaza Strip, all of which require cooking without access to clean water for cooking.

So far, more than 1,100 Palestinian civilians have been killed and thousands more wounded by the Israeli occupation army and American mercenaries.

The organization's decision to employ armed contractors at its sites, and its close cooperation with Israel, has drawn widespread condemnation from other aid organizations, which say it violates basic humanitarian principles. Some of the security contractors supporting its operations are former US military service members, including special operations veterans.

Senator Welch was joined by Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, and Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro of Texas and Sarah Jacobs of California. Castro and Jacobs counties in San Antonio and San Diego, respectively, are home to large numbers of U.S. military veterans.

According to the United Nations, hundreds of people have died while trying to obtain aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution points, many of them killed by Israeli fire.

The organization's head dismissed reports of chaos and violence at its distribution sites, calling them "Hamas misinformation," and boasted of its success.

A spokesperson for the foundation responded to the letter in a statement on Thursday.

"Our team looks forward to addressing the senators' concerns and all misinformation and misconceptions regarding our mission to feed the Palestinian people in Gaza," the spokesperson said. "Furthermore, we welcome the opportunity to reaffirm our continued support and call for cooperation and coordination with other humanitarian organizations to flood Gaza with aid."

Dozens of Democratic senators said in a letter earlier this week that the organization has failed to address the worsening crisis in Gaza and called on the Trump administration to expand aid through other nonprofit organizations.