Controversial American-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Concludes Relief Activities
The disputed, US and Israel-backed GHF aid organization says it is winding down its relief activities in the Gaza region, subsequent to approximately 180 days.
The foundation had already suspended its several relief locations in Gaza subsequent to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect recently.
The GHF aimed to circumvent United Nations channels as the main supplier of humanitarian assistance to Gazans.
United Nations organizations and other humanitarian groups refused to co-operate with its approach, stating it was questionable and hazardous.
Hundreds of Palestinians were fatally wounded while seeking food amid turbulent circumstances near GHF's sites, mostly by Israeli fire, as reported by United Nations.
Israel said its soldiers fired warning shots.
Program Termination
The GHF said on the beginning of the week that it was winding down operations now because of the "satisfactory fulfillment of its crisis response", with a aggregate of 3 million parcels containing the equivalent of more than 187 million meals distributed to Gazans.
The foundation's chief officer, Jon Acree, also said the American-directed Civil-Military Coordination Center - which has been set up to help execute the American administration's Gaza initiative - would be "adopting and expanding the approach the organization demonstrated".
"The foundation's approach, in which Hamas could no longer loot and profit from stealing aid, played a huge role in getting Hamas to the table and achieving a ceasefire."
Comments and Positions
The Palestinian faction - which refutes aid diversion claims - approved the termination of the aid organization, according to reports.
A spokesman for stated the organization should be made responsible for the negative impact it created to Gazans.
"We request all global human rights groups to ensure that it does not escape accountability after leading to casualties and wounds of numerous Palestinians and concealing the nutritional restriction approach implemented by the Israeli government."
Organization Timeline
The foundation started work in Gaza on May 26th, a week after Israel had partially eased a complete restriction on relief and commercial goods 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 Gaza metropolitan area.
The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in the southern and middle regions of Gaza were managed by US private security contractors and located inside Israeli military zones.
Relief Agency Issues
International organizations and their affiliates said the approach contravened the basic relief guidelines of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that channelling desperate people into armed forces regions was intrinsically hazardous.
International human rights monitoring body stated it documented the killing of at least 859 Palestinians seeking food in the proximity to foundation locations between 26 May and 31 July.
Another 514 people 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 Israel's armed forces, as per the organization's documentation.
Divergent Narratives
Israel's armed services claimed its soldiers had fired warning shots at individuals who came near them in a "threatening" way.
The GHF said there were no firearm incidents at the aid sites and accused the UN of using "inaccurate and deceptive" statistics from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.
Future Implications
The GHF's future had been unclear since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a halt in hostilities arrangement to implement the initial stage of the United States' reconciliation proposal.
It said humanitarian assistance would take place "free from intervention from the both sides through the United Nations and its agencies, and the humanitarian medical organization, in addition to other worldwide bodies not connected in any way" with Hamas and Israel.
International organization official Stephane Dujarric stated recently that the organization's termination would have "no influence" on its activities "because we never worked 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 "not enough to meet all the needs" of the over two million inhabitants.