American Contractors in Gaza Fire Live Ammunition at Aid Seekers, AP Investigation Confirms
Gaza (Quds News Network)- An investigation by the Associated Press has confirmed that American security contractors guarding Gaza aid sites are using live ammunition, stun grenades, and pepper spray against starved Palestinians. It also revealed that Israel is using the so-called aid centers to collect intelligence and that security personnel deployed in Gaza appear to have an open license to do whatever they want.
Videos obtained by American contractors show some guards celebrating and encouraging each other after shooting a Palestinian during crowd control.
American contractors guarding aid sites in Gaza reportedly used live bullets, stun grenades, and pepper spray on desperate… pic.twitter.com/MPqZGO9NQv
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 2, 2025
Two US contractors working for UG Solutions spoke anonymously to AP. They described a chaotic and dangerous aid operation led by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-Israeli organization. The contractors said many of their colleagues were heavily armed, unqualified, and operated with almost no oversight.
They reported live fire in multiple directions, including toward starved civilians waiting for food. Videos shared with AP show Palestinians squeezed between metal gates, coughing from pepper spray, and fleeing bursts of gunfire. “There are innocent people being hurt. Badly. Needlessly,” one contractor said.
The contractors say they were ordered to monitor aid seekers and report “suspicious” individuals to Israeli forces. One said facial recognition systems were in place, with live feeds shared in a control room staffed by American analysts and Israeli soldiers near Kerem Shalom Crossing.
In one video, contractors celebrated after gunshots, with one shouting, “I think you hit one!” Another video shows a woman lying in a donkey cart after being hit by a stun grenade.
Despite public US claims that the GHF system is the best way to deliver aid, eyewitnesses and human rights groups say it functions as a trap. Israel uses these sites to monitor, control, and harm civilians. These findings match earlier testimonies reported by Quds News Network, including accounts of abductions near aid centers.
The US government recently pledged $30 million to GHF. But its operations remain shrouded in secrecy, with journalists barred from entering the sites, which lie inside Israeli-controlled zones.
The rollout of GHF’s aid system was rushed, the contractors say. Many guards were hired just days before deployment, some with no combat experience or training in weapon handling. According to the AP, staff did not receive rules of engagement until three days after operations began.
Each guard carried Israeli-made automatic rifles, pistols, tear gas, and stun grenades. During one aid distribution in June, contractors used at least 37 stun grenades and 60 pepper spray cans, according to internal communications.
GHF denies using biometrics or conducting intelligence gathering. But internal documents obtained by AP show “persons of interest” cards with photos of Palestinians, shared among staff for monitoring purposes.
Israel claims it does not station troops at the sites but confirms coordination with GHF. However, the AP investigation found that Israeli drones and analysts are deeply involved in surveillance at the sites.
Over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Dozens more have died near aid centers, including at least 51 in a single incident this month.
