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The disputed, United States and Israel-funded Gaza relief foundation says it is concluding its aid operations in the Palestinian territory, following nearly half a year.

The organisation had earlier paused its three food distribution sites in Gaza following the halt in hostilities between Palestinian factions and Israel took effect recently.

The foundation sought to avoid UN systems as the main supplier of aid to Gaza's population.

UN and other aid agencies refused to co-operate with its system, stating it was unethical and unsafe.

Hundreds of Palestinians were fatally wounded while seeking food amid turbulent circumstances near GHF's sites, primarily from Israeli forces, based on UN documentation.

Israeli authorities stated its troops fired warning shots.

Program Termination

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 amounting to in excess of 187 million sustenance units provided to residents.

The foundation's chief officer, Jon Acree, also said the United States-operated coordination body - which has been created to help implement the United States' Palestinian peace proposal - would be "implementing and enlarging the model GHF piloted".

"The foundation's approach, 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."

Comments and Positions

The Palestinian faction - which refutes aid diversion claims - welcomed the closure of the aid organization, as indicated by media.

A representative of declared the organization should be held accountable for the damage it inflicted to Palestinians.

"We call upon all global human rights groups to guarantee that responsibility is assigned after causing the death and injury of many residents and obscuring the starvation policy implemented by the Israeli authorities."

Foundation History

The organization commenced activities in Gaza on late May, a week after the Israeli government had moderately reduced a total blockade on aid and commercial deliveries to Gaza that lasted 11 weeks and resulted in critical deficits of vital resources.

Subsequently, a famine was declared in the Palestinian urban center.

The organization's sustenance provision locations in the southern and middle regions of Gaza were operated by US private security contractors and situated within areas controlled by Israeli forces.

Humanitarian Concerns

The UN and its partners claimed the methodology breached the core assistance standards of objectivity, fairness and autonomy, and that directing needy individuals into armed forces regions was inherently unsafe.

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

Another 514 people were killed near the courses followed by international humanitarian deliveries, it added.

Most of them were killed by the Israeli military, as per the organization's documentation.

Contrasting Reports

Israel's armed services said its forces had released alerting fire at persons who advanced toward them in a "menacing" fashion.

The organization declared there were no shootings at the relief locations and claimed the international organization of using "false and misleading" figures from the Palestinian health authority administered by Hamas.

Subsequent Developments

The GHF's future had been indefinite since militant groups and the Israeli government approved a ceasefire deal to implement the first phase of the American administration's peace initiative.

The arrangement specified humanitarian assistance would take place "absent meddling from the both sides through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in combination with other global organizations not associated in any manner" with Hamas and Israel.

United Nations representative the UN spokesman stated recently that the foundation's closure would have "zero effect" on its work "since we never collaborated with them".

He also said that while additional assistance was reaching the Palestinian territory since the halt in hostilities began on early October, it was "not enough to meet all the needs" of the 2.1 million residents.