🔗 Share this article

The debated, American and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says it is concluding its relief activities in the affected area, following nearly half a year.

The organisation had previously halted its multiple aid distribution centers in Gaza subsequent to the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect six weeks ago.

The organization attempted to bypass the UN as the main supplier of relief to Palestinian residents.

International relief agencies would not collaborate with its methodology, stating it was unethical and unsafe.

Hundreds of Palestinians were lost their lives while trying to acquire nourishment amid chaotic scenes near the foundation's locations, mostly by Israeli fire, as reported by United Nations.

Israeli authorities stated its forces fired alerting fire.

Mission Completion

The organization declared on Monday that it was winding down operations now because of the "effective conclusion of its crisis response", with a aggregate of 3 million parcels containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions provided to residents.

The organization's top administrator, Jon Acree, additionally stated the American-directed Civil-Military Coordination Center - which has been established to help carry out US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "taking over and developing the model GHF piloted".

"The foundation's approach, in which militant groups were prevented from misappropriating relief supplies, was significantly influential in convincing militant groups to participate and establishing a truce."

Feedback and Statements

Hamas - which denies stealing aid - approved the termination of the GHF, based on information.

A spokesman for declared the foundation should be held accountable for the damage it inflicted to local residents.

"We request all global human rights groups to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after resulting in fatalities and harm of many residents and obscuring the nutritional restriction approach practised by the Israeli authorities."

Organization Timeline

The organization commenced activities in Gaza on late May, a seven days following Israel had partially eased a comprehensive closure on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that persisted for nearly three months and resulted in critical deficits of necessary provisions.

Three months later, a nutritional emergency was proclaimed in the Palestinian urban center.

The GHF's food distribution sites in southern and central Gaza were administered by American private security firms and positioned in areas controlled by Israeli forces.

Relief Agency Issues

United Nations agencies and their collaborators claimed the methodology breached the basic relief guidelines of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and that guiding distressed residents into military-controlled areas was fundamentally dangerous.

International human rights monitoring body reported it tracked the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans trying to acquire sustenance in the proximity to foundation locations between 26 May and 31 July.

A further 514 persons were lost their lives close to the routes of UN and other aid convoys, it further stated.

Most of them were fatally wounded by the Israel's armed forces, as per the organization's documentation.

Contrasting Reports

Israel's armed services claimed its forces had released alerting fire at individuals who came near them in a "threatening" way.

The GHF said there were no shooting events at the aid sites and claimed the international organization of using "untrue and confusing" data from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.

Subsequent Developments

The GHF's future had been unclear since Hamas and Israel agreed a truce agreement to carry out the first phase of the American administration's peace initiative.

It said humanitarian assistance would take place "free from intervention from the two parties through the UN organizations and their partners, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other global organizations not connected in any way" with Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities.

International organization official the UN spokesman said on Monday that the GHF's shutdown would have "no influence" on its activities "because we never worked with them".

He also said that while increased relief was entering the region since the ceasefire took effect on October 10th, it was "not enough to satisfy all requirements" of the 2.1 million residents.