The controversial aid group, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the U.S. and Israel, which has frequently come under fire for contributing to civilian deaths in the blockaded Palestinian enclave, announced that it has ended its operation after nine months.
"The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) today announced the successful completion of its emergency mission in Gaza after delivering more than 187 million free meals directly to civilians living in Gaza," the organization said in a statement.
GHF Executive Director John Acree said the group was "winding down our operations as we have succeeded in our mission of showing there’s a better way to deliver aid to Gazans."
Acree said the GHF's model was being adopted and expanded by the Civil Military Coordination Center (CMCC) and other international organizations following weeks of talks.
The GHF, which was created by the U.S. and Israel to replace the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), has faced criticism for failing to meet agreed-upon aid delivery levels. Navi Pillay, chair of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, criticized the foundation’s operations, calling its role in distributing aid in the besieged enclave “outrageous.”
