🔗 Share this article

The controversial, American and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announces it is terminating its aid operations in the Palestinian territory, following nearly half a year.

The group had already suspended its multiple aid distribution centers in Gaza subsequent to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect six weeks ago.

The foundation sought to circumvent United Nations channels as the chief distributor of relief to Palestinian residents.

UN and other aid agencies declined to participate with its methodology, claiming it was questionable and hazardous.

Numerous Gazans were lost their lives while seeking food amid turbulent circumstances near the foundation's locations, mostly by Israeli fire, based on UN documentation.

Israel said its troops fired cautionary rounds.

Mission Completion

The GHF said on the beginning of the week that it was terminating work now because of the "successful completion of its emergency mission", with a total of three million packages containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions delivered to Palestinians.

The foundation's chief officer, the foundation leader, also said the United States-operated coordination body - which has been created to help implement the American administration's Gaza initiative - would be "adopting and expanding the system the foundation tested".

"The foundation's approach, in which militant groups were prevented from misappropriating relief supplies, played a huge role in getting Hamas to the table and establishing a truce."

Comments and Positions

Hamas - which denies stealing aid - welcomed the closure of the aid organization, based on information.

A spokesman for said the foundation should be held accountable for the harm it caused to Gazans.

"We request all international human rights organisations to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after causing the death and injury of many residents and concealing the food deprivation strategy implemented by the Israeli authorities."

Organization Timeline

The GHF began operations in Gaza on May 26th, a short period subsequent to the Israeli government had moderately reduced a comprehensive closure on humanitarian and trade shipments to Gaza that continued for 77 days and resulted in critical deficits of essential supplies.

Three months later, a nutritional emergency was proclaimed 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

United Nations agencies and their collaborators stated the system contravened the basic relief guidelines of non-partisanship, even-handedness and self-determination, and that directing needy individuals into militarised zones was intrinsically hazardous.

The UN's human rights office said it recorded the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans seeking food in the proximity to foundation locations between spring and summer months.

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

Most of them were killed by the Israeli military, according to the office.

Contrasting Reports

The Israeli military said its troops had released alerting fire at individuals who came near them in a "menacing" fashion.

The organization declared there were no shootings at the distribution centers and claimed the international organization of using "untrue and confusing" figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Subsequent Developments

The GHF's future had been unclear since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a ceasefire deal to implement the initial stage of the United States' reconciliation proposal.

The agreement stated aid distribution would take place "absent meddling from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the humanitarian medical organization, in addition to other international institutions not linked whatsoever" with Hamas and Israel.

International organization official the international body's communicator declared this week that the organization's termination would have "zero effect" on its work "since we never collaborated with them".

The spokesperson additionally stated that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on early October, it was "not enough to meet all the needs" of the 2.1 million population.