[Cradle] Israel is examining the launch of a "pilot program" that could see US private security firms replace the army in northern Gaza to "accompany food and medicine convoys" for Palestinians who remain in the devastated region, according to a report by Israeli daily Globes.
Among the top competitors for the multi-million dollar contract are Constellis, the direct successor to infamous mercenary company Blackwater, and Orbis, a little-known South Carolina company run by former generals that has worked with the Pentagon for 20 years.
Officials say the pilot program for north Gaza aims to "prevent Hamas or other gangs from taking over the aid trucks and free the IDF soldiers from the dangerous mission."
In recent weeks, Gaza's interior ministry established a new police force
| ..the Interior Ministry being a wholly owned subsidiary of Hamas… |
to deal with groups of bandits and gangs that have been raiding humanitarian aid shipments and blackmailing international organizations in the southern Gaza Strip.
| So Hamas police will protect the aid orgs and shipments from Hamas raids? Brilliant, Sherlock! How do you think of such things? |
The UN has said these gangs are likely "benefiting from a passive if not active benevolence" or "protection" from the Israeli army.
In October, a third US security firm — Global Delivery Company (GDC) — which describes itself as "Uber for warzones" — claimed to be working with another firm to create and manage "humanitarian bubbles" in Gaza.
GDC is run by Mordechai Kahane, an Israeli businessman who worked with Israeli intelligence during the war on Syria to arm extremist groups seeking to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
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