🔗 Share this article

The controversial, United States and Israel-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says it is concluding its humanitarian work in the Gaza region, after almost six months.

The foundation had already suspended its multiple aid distribution centers in Gaza following the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel was implemented in recent weeks.

The organization attempted to avoid UN systems as the chief distributor of relief to Palestinian residents.

UN and other aid agencies would not collaborate with its system, stating it was unethical and unsafe.

Many residents were lost their lives while seeking food amid chaotic scenes near the organization's distribution points, primarily from Israeli forces, based on UN documentation.

Israel said its forces fired warning shots.

Mission Completion

The GHF said on Monday that it was concluding activities 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 provided to residents.

The foundation's chief officer, the executive director, additionally stated 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 "adopting and expanding the approach the organization demonstrated".

"The organization's system, 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."

Feedback and Statements

The militant group - which disputes allegations of misappropriation - welcomed the closure of the humanitarian foundation, according to reports.

A representative of declared the organization should be subject to scrutiny for the negative impact it created to local residents.

"We urge all global human rights groups to make certain that consequences are faced after causing the death and injury of thousands of Gazans and covering up the food deprivation strategy implemented by the Israel's administration."

Organization Timeline

The GHF began operations in Gaza on 26 May, a week after Israeli authorities had somewhat relaxed a comprehensive closure on relief and commercial goods to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and resulted in critical deficits of necessary provisions.

After 90 days, a food crisis was announced in the Gaza metropolitan area.

The organization's sustenance provision locations in various parts of the Palestinian territory were managed by American private security firms and located inside areas controlled by Israeli forces.

Aid Organization Objections

United Nations agencies and their collaborators claimed the approach breached the core assistance standards of non-partisanship, even-handedness and self-determination, and that channelling desperate people into military-controlled areas was intrinsically hazardous.

International human rights monitoring body said it recorded the killing of at least 859 Palestinians seeking food in the vicinity of GHF sites between 26 May and 31 July.

An additional 514 individuals were killed near the paths taken by United Nations and additional relief shipments, it added.

Most of them were lost their lives due to the Israeli forces, according to the office.

Divergent Narratives

The Israeli military stated its forces had released alerting fire at individuals who came near them in a "threatening" way.

The organization declared there were no shootings at the relief locations and accused the UN of using "untrue and confusing" statistics from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Subsequent Developments

The GHF's future had been uncertain since Hamas and Israel agreed a truce agreement to carry out the first phase of the United States' reconciliation proposal.

The arrangement specified humanitarian assistance would take place "without interference from the two parties through the international bodies and their affiliates, and the Red Crescent, in combination with other global organizations not associated in any manner" with Hamas and Israel.

UN spokesperson the UN spokesman declared this week that the foundation's closure would have "no influence" on its activities "since we never collaborated with them".

He also said that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the halt in hostilities began on 10 October, it was "inadequate to satisfy all requirements" of the 2.1 million population.