Gaza Aid Group Locates Boy After False Accusations of IDF Shooting

A boy from Gaza who was previously claimed to have been killed by the IDF has been found alive and relocated abroad with his mother, according to the US- and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

In July, Anthony Aguilar, a former US special forces soldier and one-time GHF contractor, falsely claimed to global media that after he handed food to “Amir” at a GHF site in southern Gaza, the IDF opened fire and killed the child.

US Senator Bernie Sanders amplified Aguilar’s account on his official social media platforms, writing that the veteran had “witnessed atrocities committed using American taxpayer dollars.”

The story quickly spread worldwide, prompting GHF to launch an investigation to track down the boy, who they say is Abd al-Rahim “Aboud” Mohammed Hamdan.

“Because of Aguilar’s reckless lies, GHF launched a careful, high-risk search,” a statement from GHF read. “Our team was able to quietly trace Abood’s family.”

According to GHF, the organization tapped into its networks within Gaza and enlisted experts to help locate Aboud and his mother. They confirmed his identity using biometrics and other methods, and also found the shirt he had been wearing in Aguilar’s video.

GHF announced that the boy and his mother are now in a secure, undisclosed location. The group released photographs of Aboud with GHF staff outside Gaza, along with videos showing him with rescuers and his mother speaking freely.

“I want to travel for my son’s best interest,” she said in Arabic in one edited video. “I’m leaving out of my own free will, no one pressured me.”

GHF CEO John Acree praised the efforts that led to Aboud’s rescue, stating: “Thanks to our extraordinary relationship with the people of Gaza, our aid teams, American military veterans, and the deep trust built through GHF’s daily distribution of humanitarian aid – we were able to locate Aboud and he is now safe.”

He added, “We are grateful to all those who worked day and night on this remarkable mission, including the US Embassy in Israel and regional governments, all of whom coordinated closely with GHF to ensure the safety of one child.”