Controversial United States-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Ends Relief Activities

The disputed, US and Israel-backed GHF aid organization says it is concluding its relief activities in the Palestinian territory, after almost six months.

The foundation had already suspended its several relief locations in Gaza after the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect six weeks ago.

The foundation sought to circumvent United Nations channels as the primary provider of relief to Palestinian residents.

International relief agencies refused to co-operate with its methodology, claiming it was questionable and hazardous.

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

The Israeli military claimed its soldiers fired cautionary rounds.

Mission Completion

The foundation announced on the beginning of the week that it was winding down operations now because of the "satisfactory fulfillment of its crisis response", with a total of three million packages containing the amounting to in excess of 187 million sustenance units delivered to Palestinians.

The foundation's chief officer, the foundation leader, further mentioned the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) - which has been created to help implement US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "implementing and enlarging the approach the organization demonstrated".

"The organization's system, in which militant groups were prevented from misappropriating relief supplies, played a huge role in convincing militant groups to participate and establishing a truce."

Feedback and Statements

The militant group - which disputes allegations of misappropriation - approved the termination of the GHF, according to reports.

An official from said the foundation should be made responsible for the harm it caused to Gazans.

"We call upon all international human rights organisations to ensure that it does not escape accountability after leading to casualties and wounds of many residents and obscuring the starvation policy practised by the Israeli authorities."

Operational Background

The organization commenced activities in Gaza on 26 May, a week after the Israeli government had moderately reduced a total blockade on humanitarian and trade shipments to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and resulted in critical deficits of vital resources.

After 90 days, a famine was declared in the Palestinian urban center.

The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in southern and central Gaza were operated by United States-based protection companies and positioned in areas controlled by Israeli forces.

Aid Organization Objections

United Nations agencies and their collaborators claimed the methodology violated the fundamental humanitarian principles of non-partisanship, even-handedness and self-determination, and that guiding distressed residents into armed forces regions was intrinsically hazardous.

The UN's human rights office stated it documented the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans seeking food in the vicinity of GHF sites between spring and summer months.

An additional 514 individuals were lost their lives close to the routes of UN and other aid convoys, it added.

Most of them were killed by the Israeli forces, as per the organization's documentation.

Contrasting Reports

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

The foundation stated there were no shooting events at the distribution centers and accused the UN of using "untrue and confusing" figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Ongoing Situation

The organization's continuation had been indefinite since Hamas and Israel agreed a truce agreement to execute the first phase of Trump's peace plan.

The agreement stated humanitarian assistance would take place "without interference from the both sides through the UN organizations and their partners, and the international relief society, in combination with other international institutions not linked whatsoever" with militant groups and the Israeli government.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that the foundation's closure would have "no influence" on its operations "since we never collaborated with them".

He also said that while additional assistance was reaching the Palestinian territory since the halt in hostilities began on early October, it was "inadequate to meet all the needs" of the 2.1 million residents.