Middle East
A death trap under the guise of aid in Gaza: Mercenaries and CIA-linked shell companies
The genocide in Gaza, ongoing for 20 months and constituting the bloodiest chapter of a 77-year occupation, has entered a new phase with one of the 21st century’s most insidious methods of warfare: a mass slaughter driven by profit and ideology, concealed under the mask of humanitarian aid. At the center of this bloody mechanism are US-based private security companies, shell companies managed by former intelligence officers, and a supposed aid foundation controlled by Evangelical Zionist leaders.
North Carolina-based UG Solutions, a Wyoming-based wealth management firm’s shell company Safe Reach Solutions, and their public face, the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), are systematically luring Palestinian civilians struggling with starvation into a “death trap” under the direct supervision and cooperation of the Israeli army. Aid distribution points are deliberately established in the middle of active war zones. Thousands of unarmed civilians who come to these locations hoping to find food are either killed by fire from Israeli soldiers and American contractors or crushed to death in the ensuing chaos.
The inner workings of this bloody mechanism have been exposed through the confessions of conscientious witnesses like retired Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Aguilar, a decorated 25-year US Special Forces (Green Beret) veteran who personally served in the operation, and reports from international organizations. The picture that emerges reveals not just a series of war crimes, but also the entanglement of Evangelical Zionism, far-right ideologies, shell companies run by former CIA officials, and unchecked capital in the project to annihilate the Palestinian people.
The Evangelical-led front foundation, GHF
The Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), designed as the public face of this deadly operation in Gaza, emerged like a ghost, leaving almost no digital footprint. Despite the US State Department’s incomprehensible statements defending its existence, the organization’s website long consisted of an empty “under construction” page. Although GHF presents itself as an entity providing “critical aid and support” to the people of Gaza, this statement is the exact opposite of its practice.
After the foundation’s founder and initial director, Jake Wood, resigned on May 26, 2025, just before the official launch, the person appointed to replace him revealed the project’s true purpose: Johnnie Moore.
Moore was a public relations specialist and an Evangelical leader who began his career as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at the Evangelical Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell Sr. The public relations firm he later founded, Kairo Company, promoted itself with the slogan, “We get it done… Whatever it takes.” This “results-oriented” approach seemed to summarize the philosophy of the bloody operation conducted by GHF.
Moore’s appointment was not surprising, considering how closely GHF worked with the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration (COGAT) and the Israeli army. Moore had co-chaired the Evangelical advisory board for the 2016 Trump campaign, met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and established close ties with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. However, his most notable connection was his collaboration with the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.
Moore’s social media account is filled with Zionist propaganda from Israeli venture capitalists, media outlets like Fox News and Breitbart, and pro-war financiers. Following the massacres at GHF’s aid distributions, which cost hundreds of Palestinian lives, Moore used language that shifted the blame to Hamas. In a social media post, hiding behind rhetoric of Christianity and peace, he used the following words:
“The principle of impartiality does not mean neutrality. There is good and evil in this world. What we are doing is good, and what Hamas is doing to these Gazans is absolute evil… If you won’t join us, at least have the courage to boycott HAMAS, not us… I can’t get these words out of my head, written to Christians tortured by the Roman Empire: ‘The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.’ Romans 16:20.”
These words clearly reveal the mindset behind the operation. On June 10, 2025, the Center for Constitutional Rights sent a notice to Johnnie Moore, informing him that GHF was at “risk of legal liability for complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of the Genocide Convention.”
GHF’s financial infrastructure also exposes the powers behind the project. An operations summary dated May 8, 2025, states that the foundation maintained banking relationships with Truist Bank and JP Morgan Chase and had received a verbal commitment from Goldman Sachs for its Swiss-based branch. This indicates that, under the shadow of genocide accusations, global financial giants are also part of this bloody mechanism.
The operation’s muscle: Mercenaries and shell companies
The entities conducting GHF’s field operations and holding the monopoly on violence are US-based private security contractors. These firms are notable not only for their military backgrounds but also for their dubious corporate structures and the extremist ideologies of their personnel.
One of the main contractors for the operation, UG Solutions, is managed by Jameson Govoni, a former US Special Forces soldier. Govoni describes himself as a “thug from Boston” and said, “I joined the army to inflict pain on those who inflicted pain on us.” This mentality forms the basis of the company’s brutal practices in Gaza. Govoni is also the creator of a product called Alcohol Armor, founded in 2022, which promises to reduce the effects of alcohol. His story that the idea for this product came during a covert mission in Nicaragua where alcohol consumption was mandatory points to the unprofessional and reckless attitude of Govoni and his circle. His partner, Glenn Devitt, is known to have said, “We are by far the worst drinkers in the military. My stomach was pumped.”
The ideological profile of UG Solutions becomes even clearer with the personnel it deploys in the field. It was discovered that one of the team leaders providing security services at GHF’s controversial food distribution points, Johnny “Taz” Mulford, was a member of a Crusader-themed motorcycle club that declared its opposition to the “radical jihadist movement.” Mulford, a member of the biker group called Infidels, displays numerous tattoos associated with the Crusades on his Facebook account. These include the cross of the Knights Templar, the Jerusalem cross, and the number 1095, the year Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade.
According to Professor Matthew Gabriele, an expert on Crusader iconography who spoke to The Intercept, these symbols are frequently adopted by racist and far-right groups and allude to a fantastical idea of an existential war between Islam and Christianity. Gabriele stated that the date 1095 has been used symbolically by far-right extremists, from the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik to the perpetrator of the New Zealand massacre, and represents a worldview in which Muslims are a “threat that must be killed.” This situation reveals the kind of mentality that is actually running an operation claiming to bring “aid” to a predominantly Muslim population.
Safe Reach Solutions: A CIA front
The other key contractor in the operation, Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), has a much darker structure. According to research by journalist Jack Poulson, SRS was actually a shell company for Two Ocean Trust LLC., a Wyoming-based “intergenerational wealth management” firm. Both companies were registered at the same address in Jackson, Wyoming.
More importantly, according to a Washington Post report, SRS was founded by Philip F. Reilly, the former chief of the CIA’s Special Activities Center. The company’s formation process was kept extremely secret despite promises of “transparency.” Its website was registered just one day before the company’s official establishment, and the site contained no information about the company’s legal name or any of its executives. The company’s incorporation documents were linked to shady intermediaries who had previously been subjects of the Panama Papers investigations. This indicates that the operation in Gaza was not only run by mercenaries but also by entities from the depths of the US intelligence world specializing in financial secrecy. A wealth management firm, led by a former CIA chief, conducting a deadly security operation in Gaza is the most blatant evidence that the project has covert and possibly illegal objectives far beyond humanitarian aid.
“A dystopian and post-apocalyptic landscape”
The person who most clearly exposed the inner workings of this complex and bloody mechanism was retired Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Aguilar, a 25-year US Special Forces (Green Beret) veteran with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star, who served in the operation himself. In interviews with both Democracy Now! and Tucker Carlson, Aguilar described in stark detail the systematic war crimes and inhumane practices he witnessed in Gaza. Defining himself not as a “mercenary” or a “whistleblower” but as a “patriotic American,” Aguilar said he was speaking out because the American people needed to know they were on the wrong side of history.
Aguilar described the devastation he encountered upon first entering Gaza as a “dystopian and post-apocalyptic landscape.” Stating that he faced a scene far worse than any war zone he had previously served in, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, or Syria, Aguilar said, “What I witnessed in Gaza can only be described as a landscape of destruction. It was the collapse of human morality. We, as the US, have become complicit in this process. We are jointly participating in the ongoing atrocities and genocide in Gaza.” Describing those who deny the claims of hunger and famine as “dehumanized,” Aguilar emphasized that what he saw was not an exaggeration but a concrete reality.
“They were designed as death traps”
Aguilar’s most shocking revelations concerned the location and operation of the aid distribution centers. He said these points were designed as “death traps,” as Senator Chris Van Hollen had also noted. Aguilar stated that these centers were deliberately set up in the middle of conflict zones where the Israeli army was conducting active offensive operations. Emphasizing that this was a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, Aguilar said, “These points were knowingly established in conflict zones. I thought this was either complete ignorance or intentional. They were deliberately placed here.”
He also said that these centers were surrounded not by barbed wire but by razor wire, which causes serious injuries to civilians, and that this wire was specifically requested by the US contractors. He stated that this practice alone constitutes a war crime.
Aguilar explained that the violence used against unarmed civilians at the distribution points was systematic. He said that despite no attacks occurring, indiscriminate force was used to control the crowds, and there were no rules of engagement or proper response protocols. Even more alarmingly, he stated that the ammunition used was M855 armor-piercing rounds. Aguilar asked, “This round is designed to pierce armor and kill. Why would such ammunition be used against unarmed people?”
Presenting a video he personally filmed on May 29 as evidence, Aguilar showed an armed American security guard affiliated with GHF opening fire on a crowd of civilians moving away from the aid recipients. In the video, another guard next to the shooter can be heard saying, “I think you hit him!” Aguilar stated, “Unarmed, hungry people were shot at just to make them move faster. This video was filmed by me. Not Hamas, not the Gaza Ministry of Health, but me; an American,” clearly identifying the perpetrators. Aguilar confirmed that he had personally witnessed, “beyond a shadow of a doubt,” both American contractors and Israeli soldiers firing on Palestinians struggling with hunger.
An operation of deception
Aguilar revealed that the legal basis of the operation was also entirely illegal. He stated that all UG Solutions employees, including himself—meaning armed Americans—were in Israel on “tourist visas.” He said this was contrary to international law and showed that the mission was rushed, with many irregularities being overlooked.
He also demonstrated with figures that GHF’s claims about the amount of aid were a deception. Criticizing the foundation’s announcement that it had distributed 96 million meals in 65 days, Aguilar explained what this meant with a simple calculation:
“When you divide 96 million by 2.21 million, then by three meals a day, and then by 65 days, it means we provided food for only 15 of the 65 days. What happened to the other 50 days? This is not aid; this is a systematic starvation operation.”
Aguilar argued that GHF lacked the capacity to carry out this operation and that its funding should be immediately cut, with the aid process being handed back to the United Nations.
Aguilar also responded to UG Solutions’ attempts to discredit him. He noted that the company claimed to have fired him for inappropriate conduct, whereas he had resigned on June 13. He said that even after his resignation, his salary was paid, his insurance was covered, and he was urged to withdraw his resignation. “I was not fired. On the contrary, I was promoted twice, and my salary was increased twice,” said Aguilar, adding that all the evidence he possesses is original, time-stamped, and verified, and that UG Solutions even used one of his videos in its own press release.
Dissenting voices in the US
This bloody operation has sparked reactions both within the US and internationally. Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a report published on August 1, 2025, stated that Israeli forces regularly firing on Palestinian civilians struggling with hunger at aid distribution points constitutes a “war crime.”
Some members of the US Congress have also begun to speak out. House members Joaquin Castro and Sara Jacobs, along with Senators Peter Welch and Chris Van Hollen, sent a letter to UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions demanding an explanation of their activities in Gaza. The letter warned that the companies and their personnel could face future criminal and civil liability under laws such as the US War Crimes Act. The legislators stated that there was information indicating “your personnel… were brought to Israel on tourist visas, sent into Gaza with war materiel, and ordered by Israeli officials to use lethal force against unarmed and starving Palestinian civilians.” At least 21 US senators also wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding that US funding for GHF be halted.
Middle East
France explores Syrian transit routes as alternative oil corridor to bypass Strait of Hormuz
France is evaluating the creation of alternative energy routes through Syria to mitigate potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz following the resumption of hostilities between the United States and Iran. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that Paris is working on new transit routes for the transport of Persian Gulf oil, with Syria emerging as a prominent option in this context.
“Among the initiatives we have pursued since the beginning of this crisis is the concept of preparing alternative routes, in order to avoid remaining dependent on blockages that could occur here or there,” Barrot said.
Barrot indicated that Syria, which has entered a process of reunification following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad administration, could become a “new regional hub.” The French minister characterized the country as a strategic corridor that could transport Persian Gulf oil to the Mediterranean, thereby reducing the impact of potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Stating that France wishes to expand commercial and economic cooperation with the Damascus administration, Barrot expressed that they aim to establish a secure transit route for Gulf producing nations through this cooperation.
According to Barrot, implementing this plan requires a comprehensive assessment of existing infrastructure and the provision of necessary security guarantees. The French minister noted that these efforts are of critical importance for securing global energy markets.
Barrot’s remarks followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus on Tuesday. During the visit, Macron met with Ahmed Shara, the former al-Qaeda leader who has declared himself President of Syria.
Patrick Pouyanné, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TotalEnergies, was among the delegation accompanying Macron. Characterizing Syria as a country situated “at the crossroads of the Middle East,” Pouyanné said it could establish a vital energy link between Iraq and the Mediterranean.
In response to the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq has been shipping its oil via tankers through Syria for export since April.
More than 600,000 tons of fuel were exported through this route between April and June. Last month, Iraqi and Syrian officials discussed the reactivation of the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline and the establishment of energy transit mechanisms.
TotalEnergies has also signed a memorandum of understanding for an offshore exploration block in the Mediterranean. However, Pouyanné stated that beyond this, the company currently has no concrete projects under development.
Stating that security conditions in the country have not yet stabilized, Pouyanné said, “It is clear today that the security situation does not yet permit us to operate here. However, I believe coming here, to Damascus, is a positive initiative.”
Shortly after Pouyanné’s statements, two bombs reportedly exploded near the Four Seasons Hotel, where the French delegation was staying.
Stating that the Syrian administration must be given time to establish control over the country, Pouyanné said, “We must not demand too much,” adding, “We need to be a little patient.”
Middle East
Senior US military officers ignored system alerts on obsolete targets, leading to strike on Iranian school
Senior US military commanders approved strike lists despite automated system warnings indicating that intelligence on certain targets in Iran was years out of date and required revalidation, according to a CNN report citing three sources familiar with the decision-making process.
The warnings were bypassed to “speed things up” under intense pressure to rapidly designate targets during the opening days of the conflict. One of the targets approved by commanders under these conditions resulted in a strike on a school in Minab.
This military decision is directly linked to the February 28 strike on the Shajara Tayyiba School in Minab, which killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers. The heavy loss of life makes the strike one of the mass casualty events involving the highest number of civilian deaths in the recent history of the US military.
According to the sources, automated system warning messages indicating that the intelligence was obsolete were already integrated into the database used during the target development process. Within this system, a target could only be added to a strike list with the approval of a senior officer. Two sources stated that the decision by senior commanders to ignore these warnings directly contributed to the school being targeted “by mistake.”
Military officials reportedly realized within days of the strike on the school that the error stemmed from outdated information. Despite the passage of months, the Pentagon has not released its investigation report on the incident.
A White House official stated that the investigation remains ongoing, asserting, “As we have said before, the US does not target civilians.”
The Pentagon referred inquiries on the matter to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which declined to comment, citing the active investigation.
School and military facility were located within the same compound
The strike reportedly occurred while the US military was targeting an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facility located near the Shajara Tayyiba School. Initial military investigative findings also pointed to this conclusion.
Satellite imagery reveals negligence in the target analysis process. Imagery from 2013 shows the school and the IRGC base located within the same compound, whereas imagery from 2016 clearly indicates that the school had been separated from the base by a fence and provided with a separate entrance.
In satellite imagery dated December 2025, dozens of children can be seen playing in the schoolyard.
The strike took place on the first day of operations following Donald Trump’s decision to launch military action, a period during which military officials and intelligence analysts worked under intense pressure to update thousands of targets.
Analysts were unable to update all records in the Pentagon database prior to the operation. As a result, records for multiple targets—including the IRGC facility adjacent to the elementary school—consisted of information that was more than 10 years old.
Due to the accelerated timeline, analysts prioritized updating “high-priority” records, which included moving targets with a high probability of being struck first and locations posing an immediate threat to US forces. Because fixed facilities were deemed a lower priority, the information for the facility near the school was not updated.
Disconnected databases and staffing shortages compounded the error
At the center of the investigation are two separate targeting databases used by the Pentagon. These are known as the Modernized Integrated Database (MIDB), which was built in the 1980s and relies on manual data entry, and the Mitigation and Analysis Reporting System (MARS), a new artificial intelligence-backed digital platform.
Both systems indicated that information needed to be updated before use. However, efforts to fully transition to the MARS system were reportedly years behind schedule, leaving official targeting data still dependent on the legacy MIDB system.
An intelligence analyst had previously noted changes on the ground in a separate digital tool, but because this tool was not connected to the official targeting database, the information did not reach commanders. How this disconnect influenced the targeting of the school is also being examined as part of the investigation.
Following the strike, Donald Trump suggested that Iran might be responsible for the incident, later asserting that responsibility might never be determined. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the strike would be thoroughly investigated, claiming that the US takes every possible measure to prevent civilian casualties.
However, due to cuts implemented early in Hegseth’s tenure, Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) teams within CENTCOM were reportedly facing severe staffing shortages.
Under the cuts made by Hegseth prior to the conflict with Iran, the 10-person civilian casualty specialist staff at CENTCOM was reduced to a single full-time employee.
Sources added that while the remaining staff did everything they could, they lacked adequate resources due to the budget and personnel cuts implemented by Hegseth.
Middle East
US revokes Iran oil license and launches airstrikes following Strait of Hormuz tanker attacks
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has revoked a general license that permitted commercial transactions involving Iranian oil.
According to a statement issued by the agency, the “General License X” regulation, which had been in effect since June 21, 2026, was fully rescinded as of July 7, 2026, and replaced by the newly introduced “General License X1” regulation.
The statement noted that a wind-down period lasting until July 17 has been granted to allow for the completion of transactions initiated prior to the revocation.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted strongly to the OFAC decision, declaring that Tehran will take all necessary measures to protect its national security and interests.
In a statement shared on the ministry’s official Telegram channel, Iran stated: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran decisively condemns the US Department of the Treasury’s decision to revoke the temporary suspension of sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil. This step is a flagrant violation of Article 10 of the memorandum of understanding concerning the cessation of military conflict.”
Following the decision, the US Armed Forces conducted a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian territory during the night of July 8. US officials maintained that the military operation was a response to Tehran’s actions in the region. Washington characterized Iran’s conduct as a violation of the ceasefire regime and a threat to the security of navigation in the region.
The Iranian state broadcaster, IRIB, reported that explosions occurred at various locations across the country. News sources noted that seven explosions were heard near the village of Taherui in the Sirik district, and six explosions were heard near the city of Qeshm.
Previously, US media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Axios, citing US officials, had reported that despite the active ceasefire, forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had attacked oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to data shared by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a tanker off the coast of Oman was struck by an unidentified munition, causing a fire on board. It was reported that the incident resulted in no casualties, injuries, or environmental pollution.
The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the targeted vessels may have been the “Al Rekayyat,” a tanker owned by the Qatar-based shipping company Nakilat.
The vessel sustained damage to its engine room, though the crew was reported to be safe. Axios reported that while the attacked vessels sustained damage, no major destruction had occurred.
On June 18, 2026, the US and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding that established a two-month ceasefire and envisioned the initiation of negotiations for a more comprehensive agreement.
Following the start of the ceasefire period, the US had also struck targets in Iran on June 27 and June 28, citing Iranian actions against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Following those strikes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had announced that operations would be launched against US facilities located in Arab countries.
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