🔗 Share this article

The debated, United States and Israel-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) declares it is concluding its aid operations in the Palestinian territory, subsequent to approximately 180 days.

The organisation had previously halted its multiple aid distribution centers in Gaza after the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect six weeks ago.

The GHF aimed to avoid UN systems as the main supplier of relief to Palestinian residents.

United Nations organizations and other humanitarian groups declined to participate with its methodology, stating it was questionable and hazardous.

Many residents were lost their lives while seeking food amid disorderly situations near the organization's distribution points, mostly by Israeli fire, based on UN documentation.

Israel said its forces fired alerting fire.

Mission Completion

The foundation announced on Monday that it was winding down operations now because of the "effective conclusion of its crisis response", with a aggregate of 3 million parcels containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions distributed to Gazans.

The organization's top administrator, the executive director, also said the American-directed Civil-Military Coordination Center - which has been established to help implement the American administration's Gaza initiative - would be "implementing and enlarging the approach the organization demonstrated".

"The foundation's approach, in which militant groups were prevented from misappropriating relief supplies, was significantly influential in getting Hamas to the table and securing a halt in hostilities."

Reactions and Responses

Hamas - which denies stealing aid - supported the shutdown of the aid organization, as indicated by media.

An official from stated the foundation should be subject to scrutiny for the negative impact it created to Gazans.

"We call upon all global human rights groups to make certain that consequences are faced after resulting in fatalities and harm of many residents and covering up the starvation policy employed by the Israeli authorities."

Foundation History

The foundation started work in Gaza on 26 May, a week after Israel had partially eased a complete restriction on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and caused severe shortages of necessary provisions.

Subsequently, a famine was declared in the Palestinian urban center.

The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in southern and central Gaza were managed by US private security contractors and situated within Israeli military zones.

Aid Organization Objections

International organizations and their affiliates claimed the approach violated the core assistance standards of non-partisanship, even-handedness and self-determination, and that channelling desperate people into armed forces regions was intrinsically hazardous.

International human rights monitoring body reported it tracked the deaths of a minimum of 859 residents seeking food in the vicinity of GHF sites between spring and summer months.

Another 514 people were killed near the paths taken by United Nations and additional relief shipments, it further stated.

The majority of these individuals were killed by the Israel's armed forces, according to the office.

Conflicting Accounts

Israeli defense forces said its soldiers had fired warning shots at persons who advanced toward them in a "intimidating" fashion.

The GHF said there were no firearm incidents at the relief locations and accused the UN of using "inaccurate and deceptive" data from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Future Implications

The organization's continuation had been uncertain since Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire deal to execute the initial stage of the United States' reconciliation proposal.

The agreement stated humanitarian assistance would take place "free from intervention from the both sides through the UN organizations and their partners, and the international relief society, in addition to other global organizations not connected in any way" with Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities.

United Nations representative Stephane Dujarric stated recently that the GHF's shutdown would have "no influence" on its activities "since we never collaborated with them".

He also said that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on early October, it was "inadequate to satisfy all requirements" of the over two million inhabitants.