Gazans killed at relief sites where US-employed anti-Islamic gang is deployed

A BBC investigation has revealed that the United States is employing senior members of the anti-Islamic biker gang Infidels MC at food distribution centres in Gaza, even as reports show that hungry Palestinians queuing for aid have been killed by these groups despite posing no direct threat, while Washington continues to endorse their work.

According to the investigation, more than ten members of Infidels MC, which is known for its use of the Crusader cross as its symbol and for its members’ anti-Islamic tattoos, were hired by the American security firm UG Solutions and deployed to sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a body funded by the US and Israeli governments that has become the dominant channel for food aid in the territory.

Seven of the bikers were placed in senior oversight positions at aid sites, among them the gang’s leader, Johnny “Taz” Mulford, who was designated as a “country team leader” by UG Solutions and was responsible for recruiting other gang members to work in Gaza.

Mulford, who has the numbers 1095 tattooed across his chest in reference to the year of the first Crusade, was directly affiliated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation until August, and his involvement came to light after he mistakenly emailed the BBC advising other gang leaders not to respond to media inquiries, which in turn exposed the identities of further Infidels members working for UG Solutions in the Strip.

Another contractor, Josh Miller, who also bears the numbers 1095 on his fingers, posted images of security contractors in Gaza holding a banner that read “Make Gaza Great Again,” further demonstrating the ideological stance of those deployed to oversee aid delivery.

The operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have been criticised as a mechanism through which Washington and Tel Aviv have consolidated control over humanitarian relief in the enclave, sidelining other international organisations and funnelling at least $30m in US government funds into the group.

Critics argue that this politicisation of aid has created perilous conditions, and a United Nations report released in early August documented that at least 859 Palestinians had been killed in the vicinity of GHF sites as they sought food. Former employees of UG Solutions have said that contractors deployed at these centres opened fire on unarmed civilians despite the absence of imminent danger, although the company insists that only warning shots were used to disperse crowds.

UG Solutions has defended Mulford, calling him a respected and trusted leader while maintaining that contractors are vetted through comprehensive background checks and that the firm does not screen for private affiliations or beliefs unrelated to job performance. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has meanwhile distanced itself from Mulford, stating that he is no longer associated with its work and that it is reviewing allegations concerning the conduct of contractors overseeing its operations.

Parallel revelations by the Guardian this week have shown how Israeli forces, including foreign recruits, have engaged in patterns of violence against civilians, including the killing of four members of the same family in a single day, adding to the growing body of evidence that both security contractors and soldiers operating with international backing have been involved in attacks on unarmed Palestinians.