The firm’s distribution sites in southern Gaza have seen a chaotic rush for supplies which disadvantages ‘women, children, older men and people with disabilities’, it said
August 19, 2025 09:50
The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has announced a new pilot programme to allow Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip to reserve aid in advance, aimed at preventing crowd crushes at its distribution sites.
Under the current system, food items and essential supplies are delivered on a first-come, first-served basis. That benefits “younger, more fit men” and often disenfranchises “women, children, older men and people with disabilities” who are seeking aid, according to GHF.
Under a new, voluntary process, Gazans who opt in will receive identification cards and the ability to create secure online profiles. They can then request aid on specific days, eliminating the need to partake in a desperate rush for supplies.
Those who do not wish to opt into the program will still be able to receive aid under the current system.
GHF executive director John Acree said: “It has always been our plan to offer a way for families to reserve aid in advance and guarantee access, just as other aid organisations do.
“[Until now] conditions on the ground have made implementation of such a programme impossible.”
With more aid flowing into Gaza and GHF’s deliveries helping stabilise food availability, he said that “conditions are improving.” GHF also confirmed that it had delivered more than 1.4 million meals as of Monday.
It comes after the GHF refuted claims by a former security contractor who worked at one of its sites that IDF troops had fired into crowds of civilians waiting for aid.
Anthony Aguilar, an ex-US special forces soldier, told the BBC: “In my entire career, I have never witnessed the level of brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population, an unarmed, starving population.
"I witnessed the Israeli Defence Forces shooting at the crowds of Palestinians. I witnessed, the Israeli Defence forces firing a main gun tank round...into a crowd of people.
"Without question, I witnessed war crimes.”
However, during a press briefing, GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay claimed that Aguilar had not resigned and had been "terminated for misconduct" by security firm UG Solutions, after which he had threatened retribution against his former employer.
According to Fay, the former soldier asked for his job back and, when this request was refused, went to the press.
The foundation accused him of "falsifying" a memo sent to senior management at UG Solutions raising concerns about crowd management policies.
Fay then produced screenshots of text messages allegedly sent by Aguilar to team members praising their work.
One of the messages allegedly read: “It’s a privilege and an honour to see America’s best doing America’s most important work in places most Americans will only ever see on TV or read about.”
Another reportedly said: “Your efforts have brought families back together and have severely weakened the image of Hamas.”
He also claimed that Aguilar only worked for UG Solutions, GHF’s private security contractor, for 27 days, saying: "More than half of that time he spent in a hotel in Israel instead of on the ground at distribution sites.
"Not only did the events that he recounted never happen, but he wasn’t even in the right place or at the right time to have seen the things that he claims to have seen."
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