Debated US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Terminates Aid Operations
The controversial, US and Israel-backed GHF aid organization declares it is winding down its relief activities in the affected area, subsequent to approximately 180 days.
The group had previously halted its several relief locations in Gaza after the halt in hostilities between Palestinian factions and Israel came into force recently.
The foundation sought to avoid UN systems as the main supplier of aid to Gaza's population.
UN and other aid agencies would not collaborate with its approach, claiming it was unethical and unsafe.
Many residents were fatally wounded while seeking food amid chaotic scenes near the foundation's locations, mainly through Israeli military action, based on UN documentation.
Israeli authorities stated its troops fired cautionary rounds.
Mission Completion
The GHF said on recently that it was terminating work now because of the "effective conclusion of its crisis response", with a total of three million packages containing the amounting to in excess of 187 million sustenance units provided to residents.
The organization's top administrator, the foundation leader, also said the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) - which has been created to help implement the United States' Palestinian peace proposal - would be "implementing and enlarging the approach the organization demonstrated".
"The foundation's approach, in which Hamas could no longer loot and profit from stealing aid, had major impact in bringing Palestinian factions to negotiations and achieving a ceasefire."
Reactions and Responses
The militant group - which disputes allegations of misappropriation - supported the shutdown of the aid organization, based on information.
An official from declared the foundation should be subject to scrutiny for the damage it inflicted to local residents.
"We call upon all worldwide humanitarian bodies to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after resulting in fatalities and harm of thousands of Gazans and obscuring the food deprivation strategy implemented by the Israeli government."
Operational Background
The foundation started work in Gaza on May 26th, a week after Israel had partially eased a total blockade on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and resulted in critical deficits of necessary provisions.
After 90 days, a famine was declared in the Gaza metropolitan area.
The organization's sustenance provision locations in southern and central Gaza were managed by United States-based protection companies and located inside areas controlled by Israeli forces.
Humanitarian Concerns
The UN and its partners said the approach breached the fundamental humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and that guiding distressed residents into military-controlled areas was fundamentally dangerous.
The UN's human rights office reported it tracked the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans seeking food in the proximity to foundation locations between spring and summer months.
Another 514 people were fatally wounded around the paths taken by United Nations and additional relief shipments, it also mentioned.
Most of them were fatally wounded by the Israel's armed forces, based on the agency's reports.
Contrasting Reports
Israeli defense forces claimed its soldiers had discharged cautionary rounds at people who approached them in a "threatening" fashion.
The GHF said there were no shootings at the distribution centers and accused the UN of using "false and misleading" figures from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.
Ongoing Situation
The foundation's prospects had been indefinite since Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities consented a truce agreement to execute the first phase of the United States' reconciliation proposal.
The agreement stated humanitarian assistance would take place "absent meddling from the both sides through the United Nations and its agencies, and the international relief society, in addition to other worldwide bodies not connected in any way" with militant groups and the Israeli government.
UN spokesperson the international body's communicator stated recently that the GHF's shutdown would have "no impact" on its activities "since we never collaborated with them".
He also said that while more aid was getting into Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on early October, it was "inadequate to address all necessities" of the 2.1 million residents.