Disputed United States-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Ends Aid Operations

The controversial, US and Israel-backed Gaza relief foundation says it is terminating its aid operations in the Palestinian territory, following nearly half a year.

The group had previously halted its three food distribution sites in Gaza after the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect six weeks ago.

The GHF aimed to bypass the UN as the chief distributor of relief to Palestinian residents.

International relief agencies refused to co-operate with its approach, saying it was unethical and unsafe.

Hundreds of Palestinians were fatally wounded while trying to acquire nourishment amid disorderly situations near the foundation's locations, mostly by Israeli fire, as reported by United Nations.

Israeli authorities stated its troops fired warning shots.

Operation Conclusion

The foundation announced on Monday that it was concluding activities now because of the "satisfactory fulfillment of its emergency mission", with a cumulative three million shipments containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions delivered to Palestinians.

The organization's top administrator, the foundation leader, further mentioned the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) - which has been established to help carry out US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "implementing and enlarging the system the foundation tested".

"GHF's model, in which militant groups were prevented from misappropriating relief supplies, had major impact in convincing militant groups to participate and achieving a ceasefire."

Reactions and Responses

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

A representative of said the organization should be made responsible for the damage it inflicted to local residents.

"We urge all international human rights organisations to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after resulting in fatalities and harm of many residents and covering up the nutritional restriction approach practised by the Israeli government."

Foundation History

The organization commenced activities in Gaza on late May, a short period subsequent to the Israeli government had moderately reduced a complete restriction on relief and commercial goods to Gaza that continued for 77 days and resulted in critical deficits of essential supplies.

Subsequently, a food crisis was announced in the Gaza metropolitan area.

The GHF's food distribution sites in various parts of the Palestinian territory were managed by American private security firms and situated within areas controlled by Israeli forces.

Humanitarian Concerns

The UN and its partners claimed the approach breached the core assistance standards of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and that directing needy individuals into armed forces regions was intrinsically hazardous.

The UN's human rights office said it recorded the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans attempting to obtain nourishment 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 added.

The greater part of these people were killed by the Israeli military, as per the organization's documentation.

Divergent Narratives

Israel's armed services said its troops had discharged cautionary rounds at people who approached them in a "threatening" fashion.

The GHF said there were no shootings at the aid sites and claimed the international organization of using "false and misleading" statistics from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.

Subsequent Developments

The organization's continuation had been indefinite since Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities consented a ceasefire deal to implement the initial stage of Trump's peace plan.

It said humanitarian assistance would take place "absent meddling from the both sides through the international bodies and their affiliates, and the international relief society, in combination with other international institutions not associated in any manner" with militant groups and the Israeli government.

UN spokesperson the international body's communicator said on Monday that the GHF's shutdown would have "no impact" on its operations "as we never partnered with them".

The official further mentioned that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the truce was implemented on early October, it was "insufficient to address all necessities" of the 2.1 million population.