Biometrics-for-food: a dangerous shift from humanitarian relief to coercive surveillance

Read in Arabic / للقراءة بالعربية

Skyline International for Human Rights (SIHR) strongly condemns the proposed system for delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, a scheme that merges biometric surveillance, private military contracting, and Israeli oversight, effectively turning humanitarian relief into a mechanism of coercion and control.

Israel’s plan seeks to shift the distribution of humanitarian assistance in Gaza from independent NGOs and humanitarian agencies to private companies, a move that would bypass UN-led coordination and prioritize profit-driven, militarized systems. According to media reports, the proposal is led by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a newly established private charity registered in Geneva. Headed by Nate Mook, former CEO of the World Central Kitchen charity, GHF has not disclosed its sources of funding. 

At the heart of this proposed system is the mandatory collection of biometric data, including facial recognition scans, at predesignated, militarized ‘safe zones’ across Gaza. Palestinians would be required to undergo these scans as a condition for receiving essential humanitarian aid, transforming these zones into checkpoints where access is determined by compliance with surveillance.

U.S.-based private security contractors, with military and intelligence backgrounds, are expected to monitor these zones. Notably, Safe Reach Solutions, one of the firms involved, is led by former CIA paramilitary chief Philip F. Reilly, who was previously affiliated with Constellis—the company that acquired Blackwater, infamous for its role in the 2007 Nisour Square massacre in Iraq. Another contractor, UG Solutions, is led by a former U.S. Special Forces operative and has reportedly provided security in the Netzarim corridor during the ceasefire in late January.

In October 2024, reports surfaced about a joint Israeli-American initiative to entrust control of Gaza's humanitarian aid to the U.S.-based Global Development Company (GDC), a private security firm founded by Israeli settler-American businessman Mordechai Kahana. The proposal includes establishing checkpoints that would restrict Palestinians' movement unless they provide biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial scans, and voice samples. Those who refuse would be cut off from life-saving supplies.

This privatized aid system marks a dangerous shift from traditional humanitarian organizations to for-profit companies controlling aid distribution. It is not merely a change in how aid is delivered, but rather an oppressive transaction, forcing Palestinians to surrender their biometric data—such as facial and iris scans—in exchange for essential aid like food, water, and medical care. What’s being presented as humanitarian relief is, in reality, a system of mass surveillance. Gaza’s civilian population—already subjected to years of surveillance—now faces a new phase of techno-dystopian experimentation, one that seeks to divide the territory into digitally enforced zones of control and entrench surveillance deeper into the ongoing blockade.

In March of last year, as reported by the New York Times, Israel deployed facial recognition technologies at Gaza’s checkpoints to track and monitor Palestinians, a practice that has already sparked grave criticism over misidentification, profiling, categorization, and violations of consent. While distinct from the proposed aid model, these systems are part of a broader infrastructure supporting Israel’s ongoing occupation and genocide. Mandating such technologies in the aid system risks replicating these abuses—turning aid from a lifeline into a tool for control and oppression.

The use of biometric surveillance as a condition for receiving humanitarian aid is a blatant violation of Palestinians' right to privacy, a fundamental human right guaranteed under international law. Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) protects individuals from arbitrary interference with their privacy. This proposal violates these privacy protections and autonomy by compelling civilians to provide sensitive personal data to access critical resources.

Furthermore, it constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law, which mandates that aid be delivered impartially, without coercion, and without compromising the dignity and rights of recipients.

UN agencies have strongly condemned the proposed plan, stating they will not cooperate with a system that effectively "weaponizes" aid. UNICEF has explicitly rejected the biometric approach, describing it as “a breach of humanitarian ethics” and highlighting the dangers posed by forcing civilians to enter militarized areas for aid. Similarly, the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) has raised serious concerns about the feasibility of the proposal, particularly for the elderly, disabled, and sick, who may be entirely excluded from receiving aid due to their inability to reach the distribution zones.

Rather than alleviating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, this plan institutionalizes surveillance and control over aid access, using rations as a means of enforcing compliance. With aid reportedly limited to just 60 trucks per day—a fraction of what was delivered during the previous ceasefire—the initiative seems more focused on imposing order through scarcity than on offering genuine relief.

As Gaza nears the brink of famine due to Israel’s ongoing blockade, this proposal’s introduction of biometric systems, contractor-run checkpoints, and digitally monitored “aid corridors” represents a dystopian turn. Aid is offered with one hand and withheld with the other, unless recipients surrender their privacy, mobility, and freedom.

As Israel and the U.S. tighten their grip on Gaza, they seek to shift the burden of oppression from military force to private mercenary companies. While Israel maintains its deadly blockade, this new strategy uses technology to further strip Palestinians of their basic rights. What is marketed as aid only deepens the humanitarian disaster, cementing a system of digital control that dehumanizes an entire population.

SIHR stands with UNICEF, OCHA, and the broader humanitarian community in rejecting this aid model. Surveillance must never be a condition for survival, and militarization must never replace humanitarianism. Aid must remain impartial, independent, and grounded in human dignity—not turned into a system of coercion and control.
 

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