Disputed American-supported Gaza Relief Group Ends Humanitarian Work
The controversial, American and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announces it is terminating its relief activities in the Palestinian territory, after almost six months.
The foundation had previously halted its three food distribution sites in Gaza after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into force in recent weeks.
The organization attempted to circumvent United Nations channels as the main supplier of relief to Palestinian residents.
United Nations organizations and other humanitarian groups would not collaborate with its approach, claiming it was improper and dangerous.
Many residents were fatally wounded while trying to acquire nourishment amid turbulent circumstances near the foundation's locations, mostly by Israeli fire, according to the UN.
Israel said its forces fired alerting fire.
Program Termination
The organization declared on the beginning of the week 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 amounting to in excess of 187 million sustenance units provided to residents.
The organization's top administrator, the foundation leader, further mentioned the American-directed Civil-Military Coordination Center - which has been set up to help carry out the United States' Palestinian peace proposal - would be "taking over and developing the model GHF piloted".
"The organization's system, in which militant groups were prevented from misappropriating relief supplies, was significantly influential in convincing militant groups to participate and achieving a ceasefire."
Feedback and Statements
The Palestinian faction - which refutes aid diversion claims - supported the shutdown of the humanitarian foundation, based on information.
A spokesman for declared GHF should be held accountable for the damage it inflicted to local residents.
"We urge all international human rights organisations to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after leading to casualties and wounds of many residents and concealing the starvation policy employed by the Israeli authorities."
Organization Timeline
The GHF began operations in Gaza on late May, a week after Israeli authorities had somewhat relaxed a complete restriction on humanitarian and trade shipments to Gaza that continued for 77 days and caused severe shortages of necessary provisions.
After 90 days, a food crisis was announced in Gaza City.
The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in the southern and middle regions of Gaza were administered by American private security firms and positioned in regions under Israeli military authority.
Humanitarian Concerns
United Nations agencies and their collaborators claimed the methodology contravened the basic relief guidelines of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that channelling desperate people into armed forces regions was inherently unsafe.
United Nations human rights division stated it documented the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans trying to acquire sustenance in the proximity to foundation locations between late May through end of July.
An additional 514 individuals were killed near the courses followed by international humanitarian deliveries, it added.
Most of them were lost their lives due to the Israel's armed forces, based on the agency's reports.
Conflicting Accounts
Israel's armed services claimed its troops had fired warning shots at individuals who came near them in a "menacing" way.
The foundation stated there were no shootings at the distribution centers and alleged that United Nations of using "false and misleading" figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.
Ongoing Situation
The GHF's future had been indefinite since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a halt in hostilities arrangement to carry out the primary segment of the American administration's peace initiative.
The agreement stated humanitarian assistance would take place "without interference from the two parties through the UN organizations and their partners, and the international relief society, in combination with other international institutions not connected in any way" with Hamas and Israel.
International organization official Stephane Dujarric declared this week that the organization's termination would have "zero effect" on its activities "since we never collaborated with them".
The official further mentioned that while increased relief was entering the region since the ceasefire took effect on early October, it was "not enough to satisfy all requirements" of the 2.1 million population.