Debated United States-funded GHF Aid Organization Terminates Aid Operations
The controversial, United States and Israel-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) declares it is terminating its aid operations in the Gaza region, after almost six months.
The foundation had already suspended its three food distribution sites in Gaza following the halt in hostilities between Palestinian factions and Israel was implemented six weeks ago.
The foundation sought to circumvent United Nations channels as the main supplier of aid to Gaza's population.
UN and other aid agencies refused to co-operate with its system, claiming it was improper and dangerous.
Hundreds of Palestinians were killed while seeking food amid turbulent circumstances near the foundation's locations, mainly through Israeli military action, based on UN documentation.
Israel said its forces fired warning shots.
Program Termination
The organization declared on Monday that it was winding down operations 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 provided to residents.
The organization's top administrator, the executive director, also said the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) - which has been established to help implement US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan - would be "taking over and developing 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 achieving a ceasefire."
Reactions and Responses
Hamas - which denies stealing aid - supported the shutdown of the humanitarian foundation, as indicated by media.
A spokesman for said GHF should be held accountable for the negative impact it created to Gazans.
"We request all worldwide humanitarian bodies to ensure that it does not escape accountability after leading to casualties and wounds of numerous Palestinians and obscuring the starvation policy implemented by the Israeli government."
Organization Timeline
The organization commenced activities in Gaza on late May, a short period subsequent to Israel had partially eased a comprehensive closure on humanitarian and trade shipments to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and resulted in critical deficits of vital resources.
Subsequently, a famine was declared in the Palestinian urban center.
The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in the southern and middle regions of Gaza were managed by US private security contractors and located inside regions under Israeli military authority.
Humanitarian Concerns
United Nations agencies and their collaborators said the methodology breached the basic relief guidelines of non-partisanship, even-handedness and self-determination, and that directing needy individuals into militarised zones was fundamentally dangerous.
United Nations human rights division said it recorded the deaths of a minimum of 859 residents trying to acquire sustenance in the vicinity of GHF sites between late May through end of July.
An additional 514 individuals were fatally wounded around the paths taken by United Nations and additional relief shipments, it added.
The greater part of these people were killed by the Israel's armed forces, as per the organization's documentation.
Contrasting Reports
Israeli defense forces said its soldiers had discharged cautionary rounds at people who approached them in a "intimidating" way.
The organization declared there were no firearm incidents at the relief locations and alleged that United Nations of using "inaccurate and deceptive" data from the Gazan medical department controlled by militant factions.
Future Implications
The organization's continuation had been indefinite since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a truce agreement to implement the primary segment of Trump's peace plan.
The agreement stated aid distribution would take place "without interference from the involved factions through the UN organizations and their partners, and the international relief society, in addition to other worldwide bodies not linked whatsoever" with Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric declared this week that the GHF's shutdown would have "no impact" on its work "because we never worked with them".
The spokesperson additionally stated that while additional assistance was reaching the Palestinian territory since the ceasefire took effect on early October, it was "not enough to meet all the needs" of the 2.1 million residents.