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The disputed, American and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) declares it is concluding its humanitarian work in the Gaza region, following nearly half a year.

The foundation had previously halted its several relief locations in Gaza after the halt in hostilities between Palestinian factions and Israel came into force in recent weeks.

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

International relief agencies refused to co-operate with its system, claiming it was improper and dangerous.

Hundreds of Palestinians were fatally wounded while trying to acquire nourishment amid disorderly situations near GHF's sites, mostly by Israeli fire, based on UN documentation.

The Israeli military claimed its forces fired warning shots.

Program Termination

The foundation announced on Monday that it was winding down operations now because of the "effective conclusion of its crisis response", with a aggregate of 3 million parcels containing the corresponding to over 187 million food portions delivered to Palestinians.

The organization's top administrator, the foundation leader, additionally stated the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) - which has been set up to help implement the American administration's Gaza initiative - would be "implementing and enlarging the model GHF piloted".

"The organization's system, in which Hamas could no longer loot and profit from stealing aid, had major impact in convincing militant groups to participate and securing a halt in hostilities."

Reactions and Responses

Hamas - which denies stealing aid - approved the termination of the aid organization, according to reports.

A spokesman for declared GHF should be made responsible for the negative impact it created to Gazans.

"We urge all international human rights organisations to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after resulting in fatalities and harm of many residents and concealing the starvation policy practised by the Israeli government."

Foundation History

The foundation started work in Gaza on 26 May, a seven days following Israeli authorities had somewhat relaxed a complete restriction on relief and commercial goods to Gaza that persisted for nearly three months and resulted in critical deficits of essential supplies.

After 90 days, a nutritional emergency was proclaimed in the Gaza metropolitan area.

The foundation's nourishment distribution centers in the southern and middle regions of Gaza were administered by United States-based protection companies and located inside Israeli military zones.

Humanitarian Concerns

International organizations and their affiliates said the system breached the basic relief guidelines of non-partisanship, even-handedness and self-determination, and that guiding distressed residents into militarised zones was inherently unsafe.

The UN's human rights office stated it documented the fatalities of no fewer than 859 Gazans attempting to obtain nourishment in the proximity to foundation locations between late May through end of July.

Another 514 people were fatally wounded around the routes of UN and other aid convoys, it added.

The greater part of these people were fatally wounded by the Israeli forces, according to the office.

Conflicting Accounts

The Israeli military said its forces had released alerting fire at people who approached them in a "threatening" way.

The organization declared there were no shootings at the distribution centers and alleged that United Nations of using "false and misleading" statistics from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Subsequent Developments

The organization's continuation had been unclear since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a truce agreement to implement the primary segment of the American administration's peace initiative.

The arrangement specified relief provision would take place "free from intervention from the involved factions through the UN organizations and their partners, and the humanitarian medical organization, in conjunction with other worldwide bodies not associated in any manner" with militant groups and the Israeli government.

International organization official Stephane Dujarric stated recently that the foundation's closure would have "zero effect" on its operations "as we never partnered 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 satisfy all requirements" of the over two million inhabitants.