BCG 'paid over $1m' for Gaza maritime aid project
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was paid over $1m for advising a private US maritime aid initiative for Gaza that operated outside the traditional United Nations-led system, according to the Financial Times.
The payment coincided with BCG's involvement in the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial project accused of undermining humanitarian principles.
Earlier this month, the FT reported that BCG had signed a multimillion-dollar contract to support GHF's operations, including modelling a plan to "relocate" Palestinians from Gaza.
BCG helped design and run the US- and Israeli-backed effort, which aimed to bypass UN aid coordination and replace it with a new system.
On the maritime aid initiative, BCG worked with Fogbow, a US group led by military veterans, on a Qatar-funded scheme to ship food from Cyprus to Gaza.
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Initially advising pro bono, BCG later billed the Geneva-based Maritime Humanitarian Aid Foundation (MHAF), a group established by Fogbow, for work carried out from March 2024 to February 2025.
The plan was eventually overtaken by former US President Joe Biden's decision to build a US floating military pier off the coast of Gaza, launched in May 2024.
BCG's scope included establishing MHAF's Swiss entity, drafting monthly updates for Qatari officials, and assisting in hiring and contractor selection.
The firm said the engagement followed internal protocols.
GHF involvement scandal
The latest revelation comes days after two BCG senior partners resigned following mounting backlash over the firm's role in the GHF project.
The initiative has drawn sharp criticism from UN agencies and humanitarian groups, who say it risks enabling the forced displacement of Palestinians and fails to meet international aid standards.
Palestinian health officials report that over 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces near GHF-run aid centres since they began operations.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the scandal has angered BCG clients and sparked internal dissent, with employees and alumni openly criticising the firm's involvement.
In June, partners Matt Schlueter and Ryan Ordway, who BCG claims "essentially went rogue", were dismissed.
BCG says it ceased work with GHF as soon as leadership became aware of it, and that it was not paid for those efforts.
The firm's connection to GHF reportedly began through a feasibility study commissioned by US security contractor Orbis.
BCG - which counts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu among its alumni - was selected due to its ties with Phil Reilly, a former CIA officer and longtime BCG advisor, as Middle East Eye first reported.
Reilly now heads Safe Reach Solutions, a private firm providing security for GHF aid hubs in Gaza.
The FT also reported that staff from the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) were involved in post-war Gaza planning sessions, which included controversial proposals like a "Trump Riviera" resort and financial models originating from BCG.
TBI denied authorship of those materials, saying staff were present "in listening mode".
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