US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation ends mission after 9 months

ISTANBUL

The US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on Monday declared the end of its mission in Gaza, nine months after its establishment.

“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 UN said the development would not affect its operations. "We never worked with them," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

The GHF, which was created by the US and Israel to replace the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), has faced criticism for failing to meet agreed-upon aid delivery levels.

The organization was also criticized due to attacks targeting civilians waiting for food at its aid distribution centers.

Under the ceasefire agreement reached between Hamas and Israel on Oct. 10, 600 trucks of aid were supposed to enter Gaza daily.

Israel, however, has not adhered to the agreement, launching almost daily attacks that have killed at least 342 Palestinians since Oct. 10.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 70,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,900 in a brutal offensive that reduced most of the enclave to rubble.