Debated US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Terminates Relief Activities
The disputed, American and Israeli-supported GHF aid organization says it is concluding its aid operations in the Gaza region, after almost six months.
The foundation had already suspended its three food distribution sites in Gaza after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into force six weeks ago.
The GHF aimed to circumvent United Nations channels as the main supplier of humanitarian assistance to Gazans.
UN and other aid agencies refused to co-operate with its methodology, stating it was questionable and hazardous.
Many residents were lost their lives while seeking food amid turbulent circumstances near the foundation's locations, mostly by Israeli fire, as reported by United Nations.
The Israeli military claimed its troops fired warning shots.
Program Termination
The GHF said on Monday that it was winding down operations now because of the "successful completion of its emergency mission", with a aggregate of 3 million parcels containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions distributed to Gazans.
The foundation's chief officer, the foundation leader, additionally stated the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) - which has been established to help execute the United States' Palestinian peace proposal - would be "taking over and developing the approach the organization demonstrated".
"The organization's system, in which Hamas could no longer loot and profit from stealing aid, was significantly influential in getting Hamas to the table and establishing a truce."
Reactions and Responses
The militant group - which disputes allegations of misappropriation - supported the shutdown of the aid organization, according to reports.
A spokesman for declared the organization should be subject to scrutiny for the negative impact it created to local residents.
"We urge all international human rights organisations to ensure that it does not escape accountability after resulting in fatalities and harm of thousands of Gazans and covering up the nutritional restriction approach practised by the Israel's administration."
Foundation History
The foundation started work in Gaza on late May, a week after the Israeli government had moderately reduced a complete restriction on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that continued for 77 days and caused severe shortages of necessary provisions.
Subsequently, a famine was declared in the Gaza metropolitan area.
The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in various parts of the Palestinian territory were managed by American private security firms and located inside Israeli military zones.
Humanitarian Concerns
United Nations agencies and their collaborators said the system breached the core assistance standards of non-partisanship, even-handedness and self-determination, and that guiding distressed residents into armed forces regions was inherently unsafe.
United Nations human rights division reported it tracked the deaths of a minimum of 859 residents trying to acquire sustenance in the proximity to foundation locations between spring and summer months.
An additional 514 individuals were lost their lives close to the routes of UN and other aid convoys, it also mentioned.
Most of them were fatally wounded by the Israeli forces, based on the agency's reports.
Divergent Narratives
Israeli defense forces claimed its soldiers had fired warning shots at individuals who came near them in a "menacing" manner.
The foundation stated there were no shooting events at the distribution centers and accused the UN of using "inaccurate and deceptive" data from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.
Ongoing Situation
The foundation's prospects had been unclear since Hamas and Israel agreed a halt in hostilities arrangement to implement the first phase of the American administration's peace initiative.
It said humanitarian assistance would take place "without interference from the two parties through the UN organizations and their partners, and the international relief society, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner" with Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities.
UN spokesperson the international body's communicator said on Monday that the foundation's closure would have "zero effect" on its activities "since we never collaborated with them".
The official further mentioned that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the halt in hostilities began on 10 October, it was "inadequate to meet all the needs" of the 2.1 million population.