GAZA CITY: TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION (GHF) AID SITES
U.S.-sponsored aid centers in Gaza to temporarily shut down following the tragic death of numerous individuals
In the heart of Gaza City, the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has announced a temporary halt to operations at its aid distribution sites. The Israeli military has labeled roads leading to these facilities as combat zones.
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This decision comes following a series of distressing incidents in the vicinity of the GHF's distribution sites, causing widespread concern and condemnation from the United Nations.
Israel's airstrikes on Wednesday claimed the lives of at least 16 individuals in the Gaza Strip, with 12 losing their lives in a single attack on a displaced persons' tent. On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza during an incident involving Israeli troops near an aid site run by the GHF. The military is reportedly investigating these incidents.
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, described the deaths of those seeking food aid as "unacceptable," while the UN's rights chief denounced attacks on civilians as "a war crime".
The GHF has stated that its distribution centers will be closed for renovation, reorganization, and efficiency improvement work, with plans to resume operations on Thursday. However, the Israeli military, which has confirmed the temporary closure, advises against traveling on roads leading to these centers, regarded as combat zones.
Established a week ago, the GHF operates as a private entity with opaque funding sources. Despite this, the UN and major aid organizations have refused cooperation due to concerns that the foundation caters to Israeli military objectives. Both the Israeli authorities and the GHF, which employs U.S. security contacts, have refuted allegations of targeting civilians.
The scarcity of food in Gaza has renewed international pleas for an end to the conflict, but a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas remains illusive. The UN Security Council will vote on a resolution on Wednesday, aiming to secure a ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza, a vote likely to be vetoed by the United States, a key Israeli ally.
At a hospital in southern Gaza, the mourning family of Reem al-Akhras, who was killed in Tuesday's shooting near a GHF aid site, expressed their grief and dismay.
"She went to bring us food, and this is what happened to her," her son, Zain Zidan, mournfully recounted. Her husband, Mohamed Zidan, criticized the aid distribution initiatives, deeming them a trap.
The Israeli military continues to assert that its forces do not impede Gazans from collecting aid. When probed about this claim, an Israeli military spokesperson, Effie Defrin, acknowledged the "incident is being investigated," stating that the soldiers had fired towards suspects deemed threatening.
UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, expressed dismay at the attacks on civilians, stating that they represent a grave breach of international law and a war crime. The International Committee of the Red Cross similarly shared concerns, citing the unprecedented scale and frequency of recent mass casualty incidents in Gaza.
Scenes of hunger in Gaza have triggered international solidarity with Palestinians. A boat organized by an international activist coalition, including environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, is underway, aiming to deliver aid.
Israel's military has stated its readiness to protect the country's maritime space, leaving the fate of the Freedom Flotilla vessel uncertain. As the conflict continues, hopes for a peaceful and humanitarian resolution persist, yet remain elusive.
- The temporary closure of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid sites, in light of recent incidents, has raised concerns about the safety of civilians in war-and-conflicts zones associated with human rights violations.
- The United Nations has been monitoring the situation closely, with UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, describing the deaths of civilians as "unacceptable" and a war crime, while the UN's rights chief condemns attacks on civilians.
- With the GHF operating as a private entity with opaque funding sources, debates around policy-and-legislation and politics arise, as major aid organizations refuse cooperation due to concerns that the foundation caters to Israeli military objectives. Meanwhile, Crime-and-justice remains a pressing issue, as investigations into the incidents near the GHF aid sites continue.
