Debated US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Concludes Relief Activities
The controversial, American and Israeli-supported Gaza relief foundation says it is concluding its aid operations in the Gaza region, after almost six months.
The group had already suspended its several relief locations in Gaza after the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect six weeks ago.
The GHF aimed to circumvent United Nations channels as the chief distributor of humanitarian assistance to Gazans.
International relief agencies would not collaborate with its methodology, saying it was questionable and hazardous.
Hundreds of Palestinians were lost their lives while attempting to obtain sustenance amid chaotic scenes near GHF's sites, mostly by Israeli fire, based on UN documentation.
Israel said its troops fired alerting fire.
Operation Conclusion
The GHF said on recently that it was winding down operations now because of the "effective conclusion of its crisis response", with a total of three million packages containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions distributed to Gazans.
The GHF's executive director, Jon Acree, also said the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) - which has been set up to help execute US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "taking over and developing the approach the organization demonstrated".
"GHF's model, in which militant groups were prevented from misappropriating relief supplies, had major impact in bringing Palestinian factions to negotiations and securing a halt in hostilities."
Reactions and Responses
The militant group - which disputes allegations of misappropriation - welcomed the closure of the GHF, based on information.
An official from said GHF should be made responsible for the harm it caused to Gazans.
"We request all worldwide humanitarian bodies to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after causing the death and injury of thousands of Gazans and obscuring the starvation policy implemented by the Israel's administration."
Foundation History
The foundation started work in Gaza on May 26th, a seven days following Israeli authorities had somewhat relaxed a total blockade on relief and commercial goods to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and led to substantial deficiencies of essential supplies.
Subsequently, a nutritional emergency was proclaimed in the Palestinian urban center.
The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in southern and central Gaza were administered by American private security firms and positioned in Israeli military zones.
Humanitarian Concerns
The UN and its partners said the approach contravened the fundamental humanitarian principles of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that guiding distressed residents into militarised zones was intrinsically hazardous.
International human rights monitoring body said it recorded the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans seeking food in the proximity to foundation locations between late May through end of July.
An additional 514 individuals were killed near the paths taken by United Nations and additional relief shipments, it also mentioned.
The majority of these individuals were lost their lives due to the Israeli military, as per the organization's documentation.
Contrasting Reports
Israel's armed services claimed its soldiers had released alerting fire at people who approached them in a "intimidating" way.
The GHF said there were no shooting events at the relief locations and claimed the international organization of using "false and misleading" data from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.
Ongoing Situation
The GHF's future had been unclear since Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire deal to carry out the initial stage of the United States' reconciliation proposal.
The arrangement specified aid distribution would take place "without interference from the both sides through the UN organizations and their partners, and the humanitarian medical organization, in combination with other international institutions not connected in any way" with Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities.
United Nations representative Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that the foundation's closure would have "no impact" on its activities "because we never worked with them".
He also said that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the halt in hostilities began on 10 October, it was "insufficient to satisfy all requirements" of the 2.1 million residents.