Disputed US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Terminates Humanitarian Work

Aid operations in the Palestinian territory
The foundation previously paused its relief locations in Gaza following the halt in hostilities came into force six weeks ago

The debated, American and Israeli-supported Gaza relief foundation announces it is winding down its aid operations in the Palestinian territory, following nearly half a year.

The foundation had earlier paused its several relief locations in Gaza after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into force in recent weeks.

The GHF aimed to circumvent United Nations channels as the main supplier of aid to Gaza's population.

International relief agencies would not collaborate with its methodology, claiming 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.

The Israeli military claimed its forces fired cautionary rounds.

Mission Completion

The organization declared on recently that it was terminating work now because of the "successful completion of its humanitarian effort", with a aggregate of 3 million parcels containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions delivered to Palestinians.

The foundation's chief officer, the executive director, also said the American-directed Civil-Military Coordination Center - which has been set up to help carry out the American administration's Gaza initiative - 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 establishing a truce."

Reactions and Responses

Hamas - which denies stealing aid - welcomed the closure of the GHF, based on information.

A spokesman for declared the foundation should be subject to scrutiny for the damage it inflicted to Palestinians.

"We call upon all worldwide humanitarian bodies to ensure that it does not escape accountability after resulting in fatalities and harm of numerous Palestinians and covering up the nutritional restriction approach practised by the Israeli government."

Organization Timeline

The GHF began operations in Gaza on late May, a week after Israeli authorities had somewhat relaxed a comprehensive closure on humanitarian and trade shipments to Gaza that continued for 77 days and caused severe shortages of vital resources.

Three months later, a food crisis was announced in the Palestinian urban center.

The organization's sustenance provision locations in southern and central Gaza were managed by US private security contractors and located inside Israeli military zones.

Relief Agency Issues

United Nations agencies and their collaborators stated the approach violated the basic relief guidelines of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and that channelling desperate people into military-controlled areas was fundamentally dangerous.

United Nations human rights division reported it tracked the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans attempting to obtain nourishment in the area surrounding organization centers between spring and summer months.

A further 514 persons were killed near the courses followed by international humanitarian deliveries, it also mentioned.

Most of them were lost their lives due to the Israeli forces, as per the organization's documentation.

Conflicting Accounts

The Israeli military claimed its troops had fired warning shots at people who approached them in a "intimidating" fashion.

The foundation stated there were no shootings at the distribution centers and claimed the international organization of using "inaccurate and deceptive" 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 implement the initial stage of Trump's peace plan.

The arrangement specified relief provision would take place "absent meddling from the two parties through the UN organizations and their partners, and the humanitarian medical organization, in conjunction with other worldwide bodies not associated in any manner" with Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities.

International organization official the international body's communicator said on Monday that the organization's termination would have "no influence" on its work "because we never worked with them".

He also said that while additional assistance was reaching the Palestinian territory since the halt in hostilities began on 10 October, it was "not enough to satisfy all requirements" of the over two million inhabitants.

Casey Schmidt
Casey Schmidt

Lena is a tech journalist and AI researcher passionate about exploring how emerging technologies shape our daily lives and future possibilities.