US special forces veterans to patrol Gaza checkpoint under truce agreement

A small US security firm is hiring nearly 100 US special forces veterans to help run a checkpoint in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas truce, marking the introduction of armed American contractors into one of the world’s most volatile conflict zones.

According to a company spokesperson and a recruitment email seen by Reuters, UG Solutions, a low-profile company founded in 2023 and based in Davidson, North Carolina, is offering a daily rate starting at $1,100, with a $10,000 advance to veterans it hires, the email stated, per Caliber.Az.

The contractors will staff a checkpoint at a key intersection in Gaza’s interior, the spokesperson confirmed, while also noting that some recruits are already on the ground in Gaza, although the exact number was not disclosed.

Although UG Solutions’ involvement in the ceasefire deal had been previously reported, the email revealed new details, including the recruitment of 96 veterans exclusively with US special operations forces backgrounds, the pay scale, and the weapons they will carry.

The deployment of armed US contractors in Gaza, where Hamas remains a formidable force after over a year of conflict, is unprecedented and carries risks, especially as the US seeks to prevent the conflict from reigniting. The contractors could face gunfights with Islamist militants or Palestinian groups angry over US support for Israel’s Gaza offensive, former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed noted.

The contractors will be armed with M4 rifles, used by both the Israeli and US militaries and Glock pistols. Rules of engagement for when UG Solutions personnel can open fire have been finalized, but the spokesperson declined to disclose them, stating, "We have the right to defend ourselves."

UG Solutions will work alongside Safe Reach Solutions, a US-based company responsible for logistics and planning. Each contractor will be covered by $500,000 in accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and former US special forces medics will be paid $1,250 per day.

A source familiar with the deal stated that Israel and unnamed Arab countries involved in the agreement are funding the consortium. The US government did not have a direct role in the decision to include a security company in the ceasefire arrangement or in awarding the contract.

By Tamilla Hasanova