Tony Aguilar, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Green Beret, provides a whistleblower account of his time as a security contractor for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. He details his 45-day deployment assisting with aid distribution, which he describes as being entirely controlled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Aguilar alleges that the distribution method is inhumane and chaotic, likening it to "the hunger games," where the weakest are left behind. He claims security contractors routinely used excessive force, including tear gas, rubber bullets, and live fire against unarmed Palestinian civilians. He provides firsthand testimony of two specific incidents where he believes contractors killed a Palestinian man and woman. Aguilar asserts that despite his warnings about dangerous conditions at one site, no changes were made before 20 people were trampled to death. He concludes that the operation is failing to feed the population, violates American values, and is funded by U.S. taxpayers, which compelled him to terminate his contract and speak out.
A Whistleblower's Account of Humanitarian Aid Distribution in Gaza
0:00:23 A Veteran's Testimony: The speaker, Tony Aguilar, is a retired Lieutenant Colonel Green Beret who served for 25 years. He worked as a security contractor in Gaza for 45 days on what he believed was a noble mission to feed civilians.
0:01:02 Complete IDF Control: Aguilar states that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) controlled every aspect of the aid operation, including the locations, timing, and type of aid being delivered.
0:01:33 "The Hunger Games" Distribution Method: The process for receiving aid is described as "survival of the fittest," where desperate people must run long distances to the sites. This method systematically leaves the most vulnerable—children, women, and the disabled—without food.
0:02:05 Routine Use of Excessive Force: Aguilar alleges that at every distribution, security contractors used violence to disperse crowds, including shooting at them, using pepper spray, tear gas, and firing rubber bullets.
0:02:36 Alleged Killing by Contractor (May 29th): He provides a firsthand account of a contractor firing into a crowd, celebrating with a "Woohoo!", and another contractor saying, "I think you got one." Aguilar believes a Palestinian man was shot and killed in this incident.
0:03:32 Second Alleged Killing (June 2nd): He witnessed another contractor throw a stun grenade into a crowd, and the metal fuse top struck a woman in the head, killing her instantly.
0:04:10 Ignored Warnings Lead to Deaths: Aguilar reports that his team warned leadership on May 28th about dangerous conditions at Site #3. The warnings were ignored, and on July 16th, 20 Palestinians were trampled to death at that exact location.
0:04:52 No Perceived Threat from Civilians: He states that in dozens of distributions, he never saw a weapon or felt threatened by the Palestinians seeking aid. He claims that some small arms fire they experienced actually came from the IDF.
0:05:14 Dire Humanitarian Conditions: Palestinians travel 8-12 kilometers on foot through an active war zone to reach aid sites, often without shoes. Aguilar personally witnessed parents carrying children who had died of starvation.
0:06:38 Ineffective Aid & US Funding: Aguilar concludes that the aid mechanism is failing and contributing to starvation. He emphasizes that U.S. taxpayers are funding this operation, which he believes violates American values.
0:07:29 Resignation on Moral Grounds: After his attempts to report issues and offer solutions were ignored by leadership, Aguilar terminated his contract because continuing would have crossed his "moral threshold."