US Contractor Who Accused IDF of War Crimes Falsified Evidence, Aid Group Says

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on Wednesday accused a former American contractor of deliberately fabricating claims about Israeli conduct at aid distribution centers, saying he was dismissed for poor performance and then launched a campaign to spread misinformation.

Anthony Aguilar, a former U.S. special forces member who worked briefly with GHF’s security partner UG Solutions, alleged in a BBC interview last Friday that he had witnessed Israeli soldiers committing “war crimes” and using “indiscriminate” force near GHF aid sites in Gaza.

“In my entire career, I have never witnessed the level of brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population, an unarmed, starving population,” Aguilar told the BBC.

Following the interview, GHF held a press conference presenting evidence they say undermines Aguilar’s claims, including documents and videos they allege were doctored to support a false story.

GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said text message records show that Aguilar was fired for misconduct, contradicting his assertion that he resigned from UG Solutions voluntarily. Fay added that after being denied reinstatement, Aguilar sent threatening messages, including one on June 15 where he warned that he could become the company’s “best friend or worst nightmare.”

According to Fay, after his attempts to return failed, Aguilar turned to the media to retaliate.

Fay also accused Aguilar of backdating a memo in which he criticized UG Solutions’ operations in Gaza. Although Aguilar claimed to have sent it on May 28, metadata revealed the document was created and distributed on June 21 — after his dismissal — and sent to both company leadership and the press simultaneously.

“Notably, on May 29, one day after Mr. Aguilar claims to have sent this memo to UG leadership, he sent a flurry of messages to the team, praising them for their work,” Fay said, providing screenshots.

Among the texts: “It’s a privilege and an honor to see America’s best doing America’s most important work in places most Americans will only ever see on TV or read about.” Another read, “Your efforts have brought families back together and have severely weakened the image of Hamas.”

Fay concluded by noting that Aguilar’s total tenure with UG Solutions was just 27 days, much of which he spent at a hotel in Israel rather than on-site at distribution centers.

“Not only did the events that he recounted never happen, but he wasn’t even in the right place or at the right time to have seen the things that he claims to have seen,” Fay stated.

To further refute Aguilar’s allegations, GHF also released a sworn affidavit signed by UG Solutions staff members who worked alongside him and directly contradicted his version of events.