🔗 Share this article

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

The group had already suspended its three food distribution sites in Gaza subsequent to the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect recently.

The GHF aimed to bypass the UN as the chief distributor of relief to Palestinian residents.

United Nations organizations and other humanitarian groups declined to participate with its approach, claiming it was unethical and unsafe.

Numerous Gazans were fatally wounded while seeking food amid chaotic scenes near the foundation's locations, mainly through Israeli military action, according to the UN.

The Israeli military claimed its soldiers fired alerting fire.

Mission Completion

The organization declared on recently that it was terminating work now because of the "satisfactory fulfillment of its emergency mission", with a total of three million packages containing the amounting to in excess of 187 million sustenance units delivered to Palestinians.

The foundation's chief officer, the executive director, also said the United States-operated coordination body - which has been established to help implement the American administration's Gaza initiative - would be "taking over and developing the model GHF piloted".

"The organization's system, in which Hamas could no longer loot and profit from stealing aid, played a huge role in convincing militant groups to participate and securing a halt in hostilities."

Reactions and Responses

Hamas - which denies stealing aid - supported the shutdown of the aid organization, as indicated by media.

An official from declared the foundation should be made responsible for the negative impact it created to local residents.

"We call upon all international human rights organisations to make certain that consequences are faced after causing the death and injury of thousands of Gazans and covering up the starvation policy employed 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 complete restriction on humanitarian and trade shipments to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and caused severe shortages of vital resources.

Subsequently, a nutritional emergency was proclaimed in the Palestinian urban center.

The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in various parts of the Palestinian territory were managed by US private security contractors and positioned in Israeli military zones.

Relief Agency Issues

International organizations and their affiliates claimed the system contravened the fundamental humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and that guiding distressed residents into armed forces regions was inherently unsafe.

United Nations human rights division said it recorded the killing of at least 859 Palestinians seeking food in the vicinity of GHF sites between late May through end of July.

An additional 514 individuals were fatally wounded around the courses followed by international humanitarian deliveries, it further stated.

The majority of these individuals were fatally wounded by the Israeli forces, according to the office.

Contrasting Reports

The Israeli military claimed its soldiers had released alerting fire at persons who advanced toward them in a "menacing" fashion.

The organization declared there were no firearm incidents at the relief locations and claimed the international organization of using "inaccurate and deceptive" figures from the Gazan medical department controlled by militant factions.

Future Implications

The GHF's future had been uncertain since Hamas and Israel agreed a truce agreement to implement the initial stage of the United States' reconciliation proposal.

The arrangement specified humanitarian assistance would take place "free from intervention from the both sides through the international bodies and their affiliates, and the humanitarian medical organization, in combination with other worldwide bodies not linked whatsoever" with Hamas and Israel.

UN spokesperson the international body's communicator stated recently that the foundation's closure would have "zero effect" on its work "since we never collaborated with them".

The official further mentioned that while increased relief was entering the region since the halt in hostilities began on early October, it was "not enough to satisfy all requirements" of the 2.1 million population.