Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street

Underground US security firm hires veterans for Gaza mission: Reuters

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Reuters
  • 30 Jan 2025 16:53
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

An exclusive report by Reuters delves into the details of a recent Gaza mission led by American mercenaries hired by a low-profile security firm.

Listen
  • x
  •  Israeli soldiers stand near a tank inside southern Gaza along the border with occupied Palestine, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP)
    Israeli soldiers stand near a tank inside southern Gaza along the border with occupied Palestine, Jan. 19, 2025 (AP)

A small security firm based in the United States, UG Solutions, is hiring almost 100 US special forces veterans to run a checkpoint, located along the Netzarim axis and Salah al-Din street intersection in the Gaza Strip throughout the ceasefire agreement brokered between the Israeli occupation and Palestinian Resistance. 

The company email revealing the plan, as seen by Reuters, includes payment rates per soldier, which start from $1,100 for each day spent in Gaza. Soldiers will also be given $10,000 in advance. 

UG Solutions' personnel will collaborate with Safe Reach Solutions, a US firm handling logistics. Each hire receives $500,000 in insurance, and former US Special Forces medics are paid $1,250 per day. Funding comes from "Israel" and unnamed Arab nations, while the US government was not directly involved in selecting the security firm.  

According to the spokesperson, some individuals have already been recruited and are present at the crucial intersection. However, he did not disclose the number of contractors currently in Gaza.

While UG Solutions' involvement in the ceasefire agreement had been previously reported, the email revealed new details, including plans to recruit 96 veterans exclusively from US special operations forces, their compensation, and the types of weapons they would carry, including M4 rifles, commonly used by Israeli and US soldiers, as well as Glock pistols. 

On January 7, Reuters reported that Emirati officials had proposed using private contractors as part of a post-war peacekeeping force in Gaza, an idea that raised concerns among Western nations.  

The presence of armed US mercenaries in Gaza is unprecedented, which increases the risk of American involvement in combat, even as President Donald Trump's administration claims it seeks to prevent the war from reigniting.  

The contractors have been informed that they have the right to "self-defense". 

However, it is worth noting that the US' history of using private security firms manifested disastrous consequences. In 2007, Blackwater contractors killed 14 civilians in Baghdad, igniting a diplomatic crisis. Four were convicted but later pardoned by Trump. In 2004, insurgents in Fallujah killed four Blackwater employees, leading to a major US military offensive.  

Related News

Trump approves Patriot missiles to Ukraine, bills EU for costs

Russia slams US-Denmark military pact as threat to its security

Regardless, the presence of foreign contractors, according to Ahmed Fuad Alkhatib, a fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, reasserts Hamas' victory throughout the war. 

Egypt's involvement

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel stated on Tuesday that "Israel" required the involvement of a private security firm, working alongside an Egyptian security company or forces, to ensure security and facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries in Gaza. Haskel did not mention UG Solutions or the United States by name but noted that the effectiveness of this arrangement remained uncertain.  

Previous ceasefire talks had stalled due to "Israel’s" insistence on deploying its own troops at the checkpoint. Recently, eyewitnesses in Gaza reported that Egyptian security personnel were using scanners to detect hidden weapons in vehicles. An Egyptian source confirmed that these personnel were specially trained in counterterrorism.  

Extremely Underground 

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official involved in the negotiations confirmed that US contractors would also be stationed at the checkpoint. However, under the agreement, these contractors would be positioned away from civilians and would not interact with the local population.  

An email from UG Solutions specified that its primary role was managing internal vehicle checkpoints and inspecting vehicles, with a spokesperson emphasizing that their focus was solely on vehicles.  

Multiple private security industry professionals told Reuters they were unfamiliar with UG Solutions. The only individual listed in Virginia state incorporation records for the company is Jameson Govani, a US Special Forces veteran, who did not respond to phone inquiries, according to Reuters. 

A US private security source familiar with the UG Solutions contract expressed concerns about the risks of deploying Americans in Gaza, warning that combat could erupt suddenly.  

There was no clarity on what would happen if the contractors were attacked or captured, or which country’s laws would apply to their actions.  

The email did not specify who would be responsible for their rescue. A UG Solutions spokesperson claimed the document was outdated and that quick reaction forces would be available but did not provide further details.

Read more: Hasbara AI goes rogue, calls out 'Israel' for apartheid, colonialism

  • United States
  • Egypt
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation
  • Reuters
  • Security
  • Gaza

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS