U.S. Mercenary Firm Partners with Shadowy Gaza Group to Distribute Aid Amid Israeli Oversight

Watan-The Financial Times published a report by its Beirut correspondent, Malika Kenaanah Tabr, revealing that an American mercenary firm tasked with humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza—under an Israeli-American plan that sidelines the UN and international organizations—has partnered with a mysterious group in Gaza to carry out aid operations.

The first day of aid distribution was marked by chaotic scenes and gunfire directed at desperate residents crowding distribution centers. The operation faced sharp criticism over the obscure “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” which the U.S. and Israel assigned to implement the plan.

According to the report, the U.S.-based private military company, Safe Reach Solutions—headed by a former CIA officer—contracted a Gaza-based company called “Three Brothers,” led by Mohammad Khazandar, to manage aid operations in Tel al-Sultan, Rafah. This deal came after Gazan businessmen refused to cooperate with the Israeli-American distribution plan, citing concerns of forced displacement.

These businessmen voiced serious concerns about the plan’s violation of humanitarian principles and its lack of local support, as it aims to replace the role of the UN and international aid organizations. The contract reportedly establishes that Palestinians will serve as the first point of contact with those arriving at the distribution centers, all overseen by the private security firm and Israeli forces.

Business leader Suhail al-Saqa, head of the Gaza Contractors Union, revealed that his company was approached by Safe Reach Solutions in mid-May to provide labor for the distribution centers. Initially expecting a comprehensive aid plan with multiple distribution hubs, he later learned it involved only four centers in southern Gaza. “It’s a farce,” he said. “How do you expect to feed two million people through just four centers?”

Al-Saqa rejected the offer, telling the American firm: “There is clear evidence that your activities are tied to a political agenda that harms the Palestinian cause in Gaza—something we categorically refuse.”

Ahmad al-Helou, head of Gaza’s Petroleum Owners Association, said he received a call in Arabic from someone claiming to represent a “U.S. organization” working in Gaza. The caller was looking for bids to operate 40-person teams for two shifts daily, including uniforms and transportation.

Initially interested, al-Helou submitted a proposal via email but quickly withdrew once he sensed public opposition, fearing it would contribute to the mass displacement of residents from north to south Gaza.

The first day of operations was reportedly chaotic, with international condemnation of the disorder. The private security team quickly abandoned its registration process, overwhelmed by the volume of people. Identity verification systems were still being developed by the U.S. firm at the time.

Ultimately, the Three Brothers company was designated as the primary point of contact, according to a humanitarian source familiar with the deal. The Khazandar team is reportedly well-known to Israeli intelligence, with a history of cooperation. They will now handle aid distribution, recipient data processing, and line management, though Khazandar declined to comment.

The company had also been one of five businesses granted exclusive rights by Israel to import commercial goods into Gaza during the war, giving it a monopoly over trade permits. These permits were later resold at inflated prices, causing a spike in consumer goods, according to a Palestinian Ministry of Economy report from April 2024.

The report describes the Three Brothers as originally a fuel distribution company—largely unknown before being granted import authorization by Israel.