UAE Company Disputes Allegations of Israel Killing Aid Workers in Gaza

A Dubai-based Emirati firm active in Gaza has denied responsibility for the deaths of its aid workers, reportedly killed by an Israeli airstrike. The strike occurred during the ongoing Gaza conflict, which has persisted for 11 months.

The airstrike targeted a convoy from the American Near East Refugee Relief Organization (ANERA), resulting in the deaths of four Palestinian members of a local protection team.

Palestinian sources report that the strike hit a vehicle leading the ANERA convoy, which was transporting food and fuel to the Emirates Red Crescent hospital, at approximately 3:35 p.m. on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

The Israeli shelling caused the deaths of four Palestinians, all members of a protection team working for Move One, a Dubai-based company with operations in Gaza. However, the company’s license to operate in the Gaza Strip remains unconfirmed.

Move One is responsible for transporting and securing ANERA’s aid convoy, and the four deceased were part of its security team. However, the company distanced itself from the deaths, claiming these individuals had not been previously vetted or formally coordinated with, despite being part of its team.

Many observers criticized the Emirati company for its disavowal, calling it a moral failure and an attempt to shift blame away from the occupying forces, thereby evading accountability for violations.

In April, Israeli strikes on World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers exposed a side of the UAE’s intelligence operations in Gaza.

An Israeli airstrike on Monday evening, which prompted global condemnation, killed seven WCK employees in central Gaza. The American organization confirmed that among the victims were three Britons, as well as staff from Poland and Australia. These workers were traveling in marked vehicles, and their movements had been coordinated with the Israeli military.

The British newspaper, The Sun, reported that the three Britons killed were intelligence operatives employed by Solace Global, a British security firm. One of the men was a former Royal Navy officer and another had served in the Special Security Forces.

These individuals were involved with Solace Global, a British firm linked to UAE intelligence, tasked with coordinating intelligence operations with Israel against Palestinian resistance groups and their infrastructure.

World Central Kitchen has long partnered with the UAE and plays a key role in the UAE-funded plan to establish a seaport in Gaza, a project coordinated under Israeli supervision.

Following a Palestinian resistance operation, known as “Al-Aqsa Flood,” on October 7, WCK was among the first international organizations to provide support to Israeli victims, with funding from the UAE.

Recently, Israeli forces targeted WCK vehicles using a Hermes 450 drone, falsely claiming that Palestinian militants were using them as cover.

The convoy was traveling on Rashid Road, between Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in central Gaza, on its way to deliver aid in a demilitarized zone when it was struck.

The Sun also reported that the three British intelligence officers killed in the attack were John Chapman, 57, a renowned SBS special forces veteran; James Henderson, 33, a former British Royal Marines serviceman; and James Kirby, a former British Army soldier.

WCK played a role in a recent aid shipment to Gaza via a sea route from Cyprus. This delivery, funded entirely by the UAE, included nearly 200 tons of food.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli attack on the WCK team, highlighting WCK as a partner in the Amalthea initiative, which aims to bolster humanitarian aid for civilians in northern Gaza.

In recent weeks, the UAE government has faced accusations of leveraging Gaza’s food shortages, which have worsened due to the ongoing conflict, to expand its influence while coordinating intelligence operations with Israel.

The Wall Street Journal revealed that Israel is quietly working with the UAE and Egypt to appoint individuals aligned with its interests to oversee the distribution of aid in Gaza. This initiative, supported by both Arab and Israeli officials, could eventually pave the way for a new governing authority with a significant UAE role.

Last month, diplomatic sources disclosed that the UAE has been coordinating with Israel and the U.S. on strategies to ramp up humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, this humanitarian effort is reportedly a cover for continued military operations against Palestinian resistance groups and for intelligence-gathering activities.

Sources revealed to Emirates Leaks that Abu Dhabi reached agreements with Tel Aviv and Washington to alleviate growing anger among Arab and Islamic nations over the situation in Gaza, particularly the intensifying famine during Ramadan.

The UAE has been pushing for Israel’s approval to boost the entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, using this as a facade to maintain military pressure on Palestinian resistance while avoiding any substantial concessions.

In a tragic incident in March, Emirati aircraft mistakenly dropped aid in Gaza City, killing seven Palestinians and wounding several others as Israel’s ongoing bombardment continued.

Leaked documents have exposed UAE collaboration with Israel and the U.S. in a conspiracy to implement a dangerous strategy against Palestinians in Gaza.

These documents, obtained by Emirates Leaks, suggest that the U.S.-backed initiative to build a temporary port in Gaza, supported by the UAE, carries serious risks for the future of the Palestinian people and is part of a larger plan to displace them.

The documents further reveal that Israeli and American military officials have recently engaged in extensive talks with their UAE counterparts to finalize plans for the port and other forthcoming steps in the strategy.

The port, framed as a humanitarian effort, is widely seen as a cover for a much more perilous agenda.