Controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to close aid effort

The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) will officially close its operations in the besieged territory, according to the organization’s director and two Israeli sources, after suspending its work in Gaza last month at the beginning of the ceasefire.

“We are winding down our operations as we have succeeded in our mission of showing there’s a better way to deliver aid to Gazans,” John Acree, the GHF’s executive director, said in a statement.

The Israeli sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, disclosed the group’s plan to end operations before Acree confirmed it.

The US- and Israeli-backed foundation operated several sites in southern Gaza and one site in central Gaza, where it began distributing humanitarian aid in late May. But the distribution effort quickly turned chaotic, as desperate Palestinians rushed the fenced enclosures in an attempt to seize the limited food that was available.

According to the United Nations, more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid, including many who were near or en route to GHF sites.