Switzerland Disbands Controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

(MENAFN) The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a highly controversial aid group supported by both Israel and the United States, is being formally disbanded in Geneva, as reported by a Swiss broadcaster on Wednesday.

Established earlier this year, the foundation's Geneva office was conceived as an alternative route for Israel to circumvent the UN's aid distribution channels in Gaza. However, the Swiss Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ASF) has now mandated its closure after determining that the GHF no longer maintained a Swiss representative or a registered address, and had failed to rectify the situation. The Swiss Home Affairs Department has confirmed the decision.

In early June, the Swiss Foreign Ministry informed media that the GHF's Geneva branch was deemed "inactive" and "noncompliant" with Swiss legal standards.

The GHF's operations in Gaza quickly became a source of international controversy, with the UN condemning the initiative after chaotic aid distributions led to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians. UN investigators swiftly described the project as "outrageous."

The uproar surrounding the GHF's actions prompted the resignation of its Swiss director, while Swiss NGO TRIAL International filed two complaints with federal authorities, calling for greater transparency regarding the foundation's activities.

TRIAL International welcomed the decision to close the Geneva branch, stating in a statement on Wednesday that it was "not surprised" by the outcome, particularly following their legal submissions earlier in May. "… this outcome was inevitable given the foundation's failure to meet the legal obligations for foundations registered in Switzerland," the organization added.

Despite the closure, the NGO cautioned that this was "not the end of the story," noting the unusually swift decision by Swiss authorities, which came before the 30-day compliance deadline had expired. TRIAL International suggested that the move could indicate that the GHF's operations not only failed to meet legal standards but may also have posed "potentially dangerous to Switzerland's international reputation."

The NGO urged Swiss officials to disclose the findings of their investigation, questioning whether the GHF had been "incapable of respecting the legal order, the Geneva Conventions, or fundamental humanitarian standards." TRIAL International also expressed concern that the GHF's "aid distribution model in Gaza — based on privatization and militarization — has proved inhumane" and could potentially be complicit in war crimes or crimes against humanity.

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