Disputed United States-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Terminates Relief Activities
The controversial, US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announces it is terminating its humanitarian work in the affected area, following nearly half a year.
The foundation had already suspended its three food distribution sites in Gaza after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was implemented recently.
The GHF aimed to bypass the UN as the primary provider of aid to Gaza's population.
UN and other aid agencies would not collaborate with its approach, stating it was questionable and hazardous.
Many residents were lost their lives while attempting to obtain sustenance amid disorderly situations near the organization's distribution points, mainly through Israeli military action, based on UN documentation.
The Israeli military claimed its soldiers fired warning shots.
Program Termination
The GHF said on recently that it was concluding activities now because of the "effective conclusion of its humanitarian effort", with a total of three million packages containing the equivalent of more than 187 million meals distributed to Gazans.
The foundation's chief officer, the foundation leader, also said the United States-operated coordination body - which has been established to help carry out US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "taking over and developing the system the foundation tested".
"GHF's model, in which Palestinian factions were unable to divert and benefit from humanitarian assistance, was significantly influential in bringing Palestinian factions to negotiations and establishing a truce."
Reactions and Responses
Hamas - which denies stealing aid - approved the termination of the GHF, based on information.
An official from stated GHF should be subject to scrutiny for the damage it inflicted to local residents.
"We request all worldwide humanitarian bodies to ensure that it does not escape accountability after resulting in fatalities and harm of many residents and covering up the nutritional restriction approach practised by the Israeli government."
Operational Background
The foundation started work in Gaza on 26 May, a week after Israeli authorities had somewhat relaxed a complete restriction on humanitarian and trade shipments to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and resulted in critical deficits of necessary provisions.
Subsequently, a food crisis was announced in Gaza City.
The organization's sustenance provision locations in various parts of the Palestinian territory were managed by United States-based protection companies and positioned in areas controlled by Israeli forces.
Humanitarian Concerns
United Nations agencies and their collaborators claimed the approach breached the fundamental humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and that directing needy individuals into armed forces regions was inherently unsafe.
International human rights monitoring body reported it tracked the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans seeking food in the area surrounding organization centers between late May through end of July.
An additional 514 individuals were fatally wounded around the routes of UN and other aid convoys, it also mentioned.
The majority of these individuals were killed by the Israeli military, based on the agency's reports.
Divergent Narratives
The Israeli military said its forces had released alerting fire at individuals who came near them in a "menacing" fashion.
The organization declared there were no shooting events at the distribution centers and alleged that United Nations of using "false and misleading" data from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.
Future Implications
The organization's continuation had been unclear since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a truce agreement to execute the primary segment of Trump's peace plan.
The arrangement specified aid distribution would take place "without interference from the both sides through the UN organizations and their partners, and the humanitarian medical organization, in conjunction with other international institutions not associated in any manner" with Hamas and Israel.
UN spokesperson the UN spokesman stated recently that the foundation's closure would have "no influence" on its operations "because we never worked with them".
He also said that while increased relief was entering the region since the truce was implemented on 10 October, it was "inadequate to address all necessities" of the 2.1 million population.