U.S. Security Contractors in Gaza Risk War Crimes Charges, Democrats Say
Prevention firms employing U S military veterans for a controversial food distribution operation in Gaza have exposed them to the liability of criminal charges under U S laws against war crimes torture and forced deportation four Democrats in Congress declared Thursday In a letter to the two firms CEOs Sen Peter Welch D-Vt and three other lawmakers commented they were horrified by reporting about the companies deadly protection operations on behalf of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation We are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel or investors of the immense legal risks they face The members of Congress say that news reports and firsthand eyewitnesses indicated employees for Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions were sent to Gaza armed for combat and directed by Israeli functionaries to use lethal force As a upshot we are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel or investors of the immense legal risks they face for conducting what amounts to military operations on behalf of the Israeli leadership on land outside of the State of Israel the lawmakers say They appealed the companies to answer a series of questions about whether they had warned staffers about their legal risks including from international courts and to preserve documents related to their interactions with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions did not forthwith respond to requests for comment The letter represents the latest ratcheting up of congressional pressure so far all from Democrats on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the contractors supporting its operations in the Middle East Founded only in February the foundation became the main conduit for U S - and Israeli-backed aid into Gaza after Israel lifted a total blockade at the end of May Related The Rising Death Toll of the U S Israel Aid Distribution Plan in Gaza The foundation s decision to employ armed contractors at its sites and its close cooperation with Israel have drawn widespread condemnation from other aid groups who say they violate core humanitarian principles Chosen of the defense contractors supporting its operations are former U S system members including Special Operations veterans Welch was joined by Sen Chris Van Hollen D-Md and Democratic U S Reps Joaquin Castro of Texas and Sara Jacobs of California Castro and Jacobs s districts in San Antonio and San Diego respectively are home to large populations of U S military veterans Hundreds of people have died trying to access aid at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation s distribution points according to the United Nations several of them under Israeli fire Read our complete coverage Israel s War on Gaza The foundation s chair has brushed off reports of chaos and violence at its distribution sites as Hamas disinformation and boasted about its success Dozens of Senate Democrats in a letter earlier this week mentioned the foundation had failed to address the growing problem in Gaza and called on President Donald Trump s administration to expand aid through other nonprofits The post U S Guard Contractors in Gaza Hazard War Crimes Charges Democrats Say appeared first on The Intercept
