Debated United States-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Ends Aid Operations
The debated, American and Israeli-supported GHF aid organization says it is concluding its humanitarian work in the Palestinian territory, following nearly half a year.
The foundation had already suspended its multiple aid distribution centers in Gaza following the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel came into force in recent weeks.
The GHF aimed to circumvent United Nations channels as the primary provider of humanitarian assistance to Gazans.
International relief agencies would not collaborate with its approach, stating it was unethical and unsafe.
Many residents were fatally wounded while seeking food amid chaotic scenes near the organization's distribution points, mostly by Israeli fire, as reported by United Nations.
Israel said its forces fired cautionary rounds.
Operation Conclusion
The foundation announced on recently that it was concluding activities now because of the "effective conclusion of its crisis response", with a cumulative three million shipments containing the equivalent of more than 187 million meals provided to residents.
The foundation's chief officer, the executive director, further mentioned the United States-operated coordination body - which has been created to help execute US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "taking over and developing the model GHF piloted".
"The foundation's approach, in which Palestinian factions were unable to divert and benefit from humanitarian assistance, had major impact in getting Hamas to the table and establishing a truce."
Comments and Positions
The militant group - which disputes allegations of misappropriation - approved the termination of the humanitarian foundation, based on information.
A spokesman for stated the organization should be subject to scrutiny for the harm it caused to Palestinians.
"We call upon all worldwide humanitarian bodies to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after leading to casualties and wounds of thousands of Gazans and covering up the starvation policy practised by the Israeli government."
Organization Timeline
The foundation started work in Gaza on 26 May, a week after the Israeli government had moderately reduced a comprehensive closure on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that persisted for nearly three months and resulted in critical deficits of essential supplies.
Three months later, a nutritional emergency was proclaimed in the Gaza metropolitan area.
The organization's sustenance provision locations in the southern and middle regions of Gaza were administered by US private security contractors and situated within Israeli military zones.
Humanitarian Concerns
United Nations agencies and their collaborators claimed the methodology breached the fundamental humanitarian principles of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that directing needy individuals into militarised zones was fundamentally dangerous.
International human rights monitoring body said it recorded the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans trying to acquire sustenance in the proximity to foundation locations between 26 May and 31 July.
An additional 514 individuals were lost their lives close to the courses followed by international humanitarian deliveries, it further stated.
The majority of these individuals were killed by the Israel's armed forces, as per the organization's documentation.
Conflicting Accounts
Israel's armed services said its troops had fired warning shots at individuals who came near them in a "intimidating" manner.
The organization declared there were no firearm incidents at the relief locations and alleged that United Nations of using "false and misleading" figures from the Gazan medical department controlled by militant factions.
Future Implications
The GHF's future had been uncertain since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a truce agreement to implement the initial stage of Trump's peace plan.
It said aid distribution would take place "free from intervention from the both sides through the international bodies and their affiliates, and the humanitarian medical organization, in conjunction with other global organizations not connected in any way" with Hamas and Israel.
UN spokesperson the international body's communicator declared this week that the foundation's closure would have "no impact" on its operations "since we never collaborated with them".
He also said that while additional assistance was reaching the Palestinian territory since the truce was implemented on early October, it was "not enough to satisfy all requirements" of the 2.1 million residents.