US-backed Gaza aid centres to close temporarily
Aid centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US and Israel-backed agency, will temporarily close Wednesday for renovation, it said.
'June 4, distribution centres will be closed for renovation, reorganization and efficiency improvement work,' GHF wrote on Facebook.
Aid distribution will resume Thursday, it added.
The Israeli army confirmed the temporary closure.
'It is prohibited tomorrow (Wednesday) to travel on roads leading to the distribution centres, which are considered combat zones,' Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on social media.
An officially private effort with opaque funding, GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for over two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
But GHF's first week of operations, in which it said it had distributed more than seven million meals' worth of food, has been marred by criticism.
The Israeli military faces allegations of shooting into crowds of civilians rushing to pick up aid packages near GHF sites.
Israeli authorities and the GHF— which uses contracted US security—denied any such incident took place.
The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
For decades, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA had spearheaded aid distribution in Gaza, with dozens of other organizations participating in efforts to assist the population.
Israel has accused UNRWA of providing cover for Hamas militants, claiming that some of the agency's employees took part in the group's October 7 attack.
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