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EXCLUSIVE: A young Gazan boy dubbed “Amir” who traveled to a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution site and was reported as having been killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in May, has been found alive and was hiding out with his mother.
In an exclusive interview with the boy whose real name was confirmed by the GHF to be Abdul Rahim Muhammad Hamden, but who goes by “Abboud,” the 8-year-old and his mother answered questions provided by Fox News Digital through a GHF translator, in which the pair appeared excited ahead of their planned extraction from the Gaza Strip.
Abboud and his mother, whose name is Najlaa, were safely extracted from the Gaza Strip on Thursday, though the location has not been disclosed in this reporting for their protection.
“Outside the Gaza Strip is nice,” Abboud said, according to a translation verified by Fox News Digital.
The story of Abboud went viral after a former GHF contractor, Anthony Aguilar, a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army and retired Green Beret Lt. Col., said he saw the boy who he called “Amir” gunned down by IDF forces outside a GHF distribution site on May 28.
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In his account, Aguilar showed images taken using his body camera footage of the boy approaching him and another contractor clutching bags of food.
Aguilar claimed that he and the boy had a touching moment where Abdul, whose nickname is Abboud, kissed his hand and then his face in apparent thanks for the food supplies.
The former Green Beret said that the boy then ran back to the group of other Palestinians who were shortly after forced to leave the aid site after pepper spray, tear gas, and stun grenades were employed, he claimed in an interview with MSNBC.
Aguilar – who was employed as a contractor for UG Solutions, a subcontractor for GHF – then said he heard shots fired after the Palestinians had left, and upon reaching the scene, he found Abboud and others had been shot by the IDF.
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“Shot to the torso, a shot to the leg – dead,” he told Dialogue Works regarding Abboud.
In his accounts of the incident to multiple media outlets, as well as Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., on July 29, Aguilar claimed the killing happened first outside GHF aid site SDS 1 before telling MSNBC on Aug. 2 that the shooting happened near SDS 2, and then telling Dialogue Works late last month the events occurred outside SDS 3.
The GHF, who terminated Aguilar’s contract in June, launched an investigation at the end of July to try and locate the identity of the boy and uncover what happened.
Through their investigation, which relied on speaking with local Palestinians, they eventually tracked down Abboud’s mother and her son.
The identities of Abboud, his mother and other relatives were verified by GHF by using facial recognition software that compared the images of the boy with those captured by Aguilar, along with biometric data shared with Fox News Digital.
In footage exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, Abboud, is seen playfully interacting with a GHF representative after he first arrived at Secure Distribution Site (SDS) 3 with his mother late last month.
“We are overjoyed and deeply relieved that Abboud is safe, and that this story ends in hope,” GHF Executive Chair Johnnie Moore said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “That outcome was never guaranteed and it’s thanks to the courage and persistence of our team of American heroes; veterans who never stopped working to find him and bring him to safety in the most complex environment imaginable.”
Concern mounted as Aguilar’s story gained international attention that Hamas had a vested interest in ensuring that Abboud was not found, as it would discredit the claim that the GHF and the IDF had engaged in not only brutal but deadly behavior towards Palestinians.
“While this story ends happily, it could have ended in tragedy,” Moore added. “Too many people, including in the press and civil society, were quick to spread unverified claims without asking the most basic questions.
“When a child’s life is at stake, facts must matter more than headlines,” he added.
Abboud’s mother brought him to SDS 3 late last month under a heavy disguise, before the pair, along with four other male family members, including at least one who had been threatened by Hamas, were extracted from the Gaza Strip, a GHF representative involved in the operation confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“He and his mother have been moved to safe and secure location. We will not be disclosing their whereabouts at this time for their safety and security, but we have every belief that they are on their way to a new life,” GHF spokesman Chapman Fay told Fox News Digital.
Najlaa said her wish for her son’s future is that he be “at ease.”
“My son and I suffered a lot. But we thank God,” she added. “I thank everyone who helped me and stood by me.”
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