Debated American-supported Gaza Relief Group Concludes Aid Operations
The disputed, United States and Israel-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says it is concluding its humanitarian work in the Palestinian territory, after almost six months.
The foundation had already suspended its three food distribution sites in Gaza subsequent to the halt in hostilities between Palestinian factions and Israel came into force recently.
The GHF aimed to bypass the UN as the main supplier of relief to Palestinian residents.
International relief agencies refused to co-operate with its methodology, stating it was questionable and hazardous.
Numerous Gazans were lost their lives while seeking food amid turbulent circumstances near GHF's sites, mostly by Israeli fire, based on UN documentation.
Israel said its troops fired warning shots.
Mission Completion
The GHF said on the beginning of the week that it was concluding activities now because of the "effective conclusion of its emergency mission", with a total of three million packages containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions delivered to Palestinians.
The GHF's executive director, Jon Acree, also said the United States-operated coordination body - which has been created to help carry out the United States' Palestinian peace proposal - would be "implementing and enlarging the model GHF piloted".
"The foundation's approach, in which Palestinian factions were unable to divert and benefit from humanitarian assistance, had major impact 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 humanitarian foundation, as indicated by media.
An official from stated the foundation should be subject to scrutiny for the harm it caused to Palestinians.
"We call upon all worldwide humanitarian bodies to make certain that consequences are faced after causing the death and injury of many residents and concealing the starvation policy implemented by the Israel's administration."
Foundation History
The GHF began operations in Gaza on 26 May, a short period subsequent to 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 organization's sustenance provision locations in southern and central Gaza were operated by United States-based protection companies and located inside Israeli military zones.
Relief Agency Issues
International organizations and their affiliates stated the approach breached the basic relief guidelines of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that directing needy individuals into armed forces regions was inherently unsafe.
The UN's human rights office said it recorded the deaths of a minimum of 859 residents seeking food in the proximity to foundation locations between late May through end of July.
An additional 514 individuals were killed near the routes of UN and other aid convoys, it also mentioned.
Most of them were fatally wounded by the Israeli forces, as per the organization's documentation.
Contrasting Reports
Israeli defense forces claimed its troops had fired warning shots at people who approached them in a "menacing" fashion.
The organization declared there were no shooting events at the relief locations and claimed the international organization of using "untrue and confusing" statistics from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.
Ongoing Situation
The GHF's future had been unclear since Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire deal to carry out the first phase of the American administration's peace initiative.
The agreement stated humanitarian assistance would take place "absent meddling from the two parties through the international bodies and their affiliates, and the humanitarian medical organization, in conjunction with other global organizations not linked whatsoever" with Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities.
International organization official the international body's communicator declared this week that the GHF's shutdown would have "no impact" on its work "as we never partnered with them".
The official further mentioned that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the halt in hostilities began on early October, it was "inadequate to address all necessities" of the over two million inhabitants.