Controversial US-backed GHF Aid Organization Terminates Humanitarian Work
The controversial, American and Israeli-supported GHF aid organization says it is winding down its relief activities in the Gaza region, following nearly half a year.
The group had earlier paused its several relief locations in Gaza after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into force in recent weeks.
The organization attempted to bypass the UN as the primary provider of humanitarian assistance to Gazans.
United Nations organizations and other humanitarian groups declined to participate with its system, claiming it was questionable and hazardous.
Hundreds of Palestinians were fatally wounded while attempting to obtain sustenance amid disorderly situations near GHF's sites, mostly by Israeli fire, as reported by United Nations.
The Israeli military claimed its soldiers fired warning shots.
Operation Conclusion
The GHF said on the beginning of the week that it was terminating work now because of the "satisfactory fulfillment of its emergency mission", with a total of three million packages containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions distributed to Gazans.
The organization's top administrator, Jon Acree, further mentioned the American-directed Civil-Military Coordination Center - which has been created to help implement the United States' Palestinian peace proposal - would be "implementing and enlarging the model GHF piloted".
"GHF's model, in which Hamas could no longer loot and profit from stealing aid, had major impact in getting Hamas to the table and establishing a truce."
Comments and Positions
Hamas - which denies stealing aid - supported the shutdown of the aid organization, according to reports.
A spokesman for said the foundation should be held accountable for the damage it inflicted to Gazans.
"We call upon all worldwide humanitarian bodies to make certain that consequences are faced after leading to casualties and wounds of thousands of Gazans and obscuring the food deprivation strategy practised by the Israel's administration."
Organization Timeline
The organization commenced activities in Gaza on late May, a week after Israeli authorities had somewhat relaxed a comprehensive closure on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that persisted for nearly three months and caused severe shortages of essential supplies.
Three months later, a food crisis was announced in Gaza City.
The organization's sustenance provision locations in various parts of the Palestinian territory were administered by US private security contractors and situated within regions under Israeli military authority.
Humanitarian Concerns
United Nations agencies and their collaborators said the system breached the basic relief guidelines of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that guiding distressed residents into armed forces regions was inherently unsafe.
International human rights monitoring body stated it documented the deaths of a minimum of 859 residents trying to acquire sustenance in the proximity to foundation locations between spring and summer months.
An additional 514 individuals were killed near the routes of UN and other aid convoys, it also mentioned.
Most of them were lost their lives due to the Israel's armed forces, based on the agency's reports.
Conflicting Accounts
Israeli defense forces stated its soldiers had fired warning shots at people who approached them in a "intimidating" manner.
The organization declared there were no shooting events at the aid sites and claimed the international organization of using "false and misleading" statistics from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.
Subsequent Developments
The foundation's prospects had been uncertain since Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities consented a ceasefire deal to carry out the primary segment of the United States' reconciliation proposal.
The arrangement specified humanitarian assistance would take place "without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the humanitarian medical organization, in addition to other international institutions not linked whatsoever" with Hamas and Israel.
International organization official the UN spokesman declared this week that the GHF's shutdown would have "no influence" on its work "since we never collaborated with them".
He also said that while additional assistance was reaching the Palestinian territory since the truce was implemented on October 10th, it was "inadequate to meet all the needs" of the 2.1 million residents.