The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation stops its operations after delivering controversial materials that led to hundreds of deaths and injuries

the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) The controversial American organization Commissioned by Israel to distribute food in the Strip From May until October there is a ceasefire, which was announced on Monday Stop operations In the Palestinian enclave.

“At a critical moment, the US-led emergency relief mission helped lay the foundation for a ceasefire and the future of Gaza,” the fund said in a statement.

GHF is an American non-profit organization, Made up of former US military, private security companies and humanitarian workersBut the United Nations highlighted months ago that it does not work in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law His methods caused the deaths of hundreds in Gaza.

Since the organization’s arrival in Gaza, with three operations centers in the south and another in the center of the Strip – which replaced 200 UN distribution points – Distribution quickly became a messWith Palestinians crowding the facilities to get food, and constant scenes of them being violently pushed back.

This chaos appeared in A The incident of preventing aid from entering Gaza by Israel, which was total from March until the Humanitarian Relief Fund began operating in May, an organization that did not cover the needs of the residents of Gaza, leading to a state of Famine was declared this summer By an organization accredited by the United Nations.

Since the Israeli offensive that followed Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, more than 2,100 Palestinians have been killed while seeking humanitarian aid, including those who were near or on their way to GHF centres, according to the UN.

“With the establishment of the Gaza Civil-Military Coordination Center and the renewed commitment from the international humanitarian community, the GHF believes the time has come to cease operations,” John Acree, Executive Director of GHF, concluded in his statement.

Despair and death in the distributions

On Monday, the agency also released a report on the impact of its work in Gaza, which, despite bouts of despair and death in deliveries, It is described as a “record”.

“In response to President Donald’s call Trump card The organization added: “In order for aid to reach Gazans directly, the Fund built a new model from scratch: secure sites, verified local staff, disciplined operations, and direct delivery to civilians without interference from Hamas or other actors.”

According to their calculations, since they settled at the end of last May, they have been distributed throughout the Gaza StripTo more than 3 million food boxes, with a total of 187 million meals; More than 5,600 tons of potatoes and 1,300 tons of onions were delivered; In addition to 1.1 million nutritional supplements for malnourished children.

But because it emerged as an alternative to the humanitarian work of the United Nations, which the Israeli government has repeatedly accused of collusion with Hamas militias, There is no transparent way to verify the data provided.

In its statement on Monday, the GHF acknowledges this They arrive as a “temporary initiative” and that they have “plans to expand to more centres”. But they decided to suspend their operations in mid-October – after the last ceasefire – when the United States and the international community returned humanitarian missions to various UN agencies.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on November 22, its last update on the situation in Gaza, that “all UN missions aiming to collect aid shipments at the Kerem Shalom crossing were denied access” that day.

After its announcement, The Trump administration praised his work He gave him some credit for the ceasefire. “The GHF model, in which Hamas is no longer able to plunder or profit by stealing aid, was essential for the group to come to the negotiating table and reach a ceasefire. We appreciate everything they have contributed to the people of Gaza,” State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Piggott announced on social media.