🔗 Share this article

The debated, US and Israel-backed Gaza relief foundation announces it is winding down its aid operations in the Palestinian territory, following nearly half a year.

The group had previously halted its three food distribution sites in Gaza subsequent to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was implemented recently.

The GHF aimed to bypass the UN as the chief distributor of humanitarian assistance to Gazans.

UN and other aid agencies refused to co-operate with its approach, stating it was improper and dangerous.

Hundreds of Palestinians were killed while seeking food amid turbulent circumstances near the foundation's locations, mostly by Israeli fire, according to the UN.

The Israeli military claimed its soldiers fired alerting fire.

Program Termination

The foundation announced on recently that it was winding down operations now because of the "effective conclusion of its humanitarian effort", with a aggregate of 3 million parcels containing the equivalent of more than 187 million meals distributed to Gazans.

The GHF's executive director, the executive director, additionally stated the American-directed Civil-Military Coordination Center - which has been created to help execute US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "adopting and expanding the approach the organization demonstrated".

"GHF's model, in which Palestinian factions were unable to divert and benefit from humanitarian assistance, was significantly influential in getting Hamas to the table and establishing a truce."

Comments and Positions

Hamas - which denies stealing aid - supported the shutdown of the humanitarian foundation, based on information.

A representative of stated the foundation should be made responsible for the negative impact it created to local residents.

"We call upon all international human rights organisations to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after causing the death and injury of many residents and obscuring the food deprivation strategy implemented by the Israel's administration."

Operational Background

The foundation started work in Gaza on late May, a week after the Israeli government had moderately reduced a total blockade on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that persisted for nearly three months and resulted in critical deficits of vital resources.

Three months later, a famine was declared in Gaza City.

The organization's sustenance provision locations in various parts of the Palestinian territory were managed by American private security firms and located inside regions under Israeli military authority.

Relief Agency Issues

United Nations agencies and their collaborators stated the system violated the basic relief guidelines of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that directing needy individuals into militarised zones was intrinsically hazardous.

International human rights monitoring body said it recorded the killing of at least 859 Palestinians trying to acquire sustenance in the vicinity of GHF sites between spring and summer months.

Another 514 people were killed near the paths taken by United Nations and additional relief shipments, it also mentioned.

The greater part of these people were killed by the Israeli forces, according to the office.

Conflicting Accounts

Israeli defense forces said its troops had released alerting fire at individuals who came near them in a "threatening" manner.

The GHF said there were no shootings at the aid sites and alleged that United Nations of using "inaccurate and deceptive" statistics from the Gazan medical department controlled by militant factions.

Subsequent Developments

The organization's continuation had been unclear since Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities consented a halt in hostilities arrangement to carry out the first phase of Trump's peace plan.

The arrangement specified relief provision would take place "free from intervention from the both sides through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in combination with other worldwide bodies not connected in any way" with Hamas and Israel.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that the organization's termination would have "no influence" on its activities "because we never worked with them".

The official further mentioned that while increased relief was entering the region since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October, it was "not enough to satisfy all requirements" of the 2.1 million population.