A small U.S. security firm is hiring nearly 100 U.S. special forces veterans to help run a checkpoint in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas truce, according to a company spokesperson and a recruitment email seen by Reuters, introducing armed American contractors into the heart of one of the world's most violent conflict zones.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 said.They will staff the checkpoint at a key intersection in Gaza's interior, said the spokesperson, who confirmed the authenticity of the email.Some people have been recruited and are already at the checkpoint, said the spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity. He did not say how many contractors were already in Gaza.UG Solutions' role in the ceasefire deal has been reported, but the email disclosed previously unknown details, including the aim of recruiting 96 veterans exclusively with U.S. special operations forces backgrounds, the pay, and the types of weapons they will carry. Reuters reported on Jan. 7 that Emirati officials had suggested the use of private contractors as part of a post-war peacekeeping force in Gaza, and that the idea had caused concern among Western nations.The deployment of armed U.S. contractors in Gaza, where Hamas remains a potent force after 14 months of war, is unprecedented and poses the risk that Americans could be drawn into fighting as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to keep the Hamas-Israel conflict from reigniting.Among the risks facing the Americans are gunfights with Islamist militants or Palestinians angry over Washington's support for Israel's Gaza offensive."Of course there is a threat they will face," said Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official.The document said the contractors will be armed with M4 rifles, which are used by the Israeli and U.S. militaries, and Glock pistols.The rules of engagement governing when UG Solutions personnel can open fire have been finalized, the spokesperson said, but he declined to disclose them."We have the right to defend ourselves," he said. He declined to discuss how the company won the contract.
