Switzerland Intends to Dissolve the Branch of the 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation' Registered in Geneva

SadaNews - Switzerland announced on Wednesday its intention to dissolve the branch of the 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation' registered in Geneva, as this entity, supported by the United States and Israel and criticized by the United Nations and other organizations, has no representative or address in the country.

The branch registered in Geneva is part of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is headquartered in Delaware, USA. Notably, Geneva hosts many UN agencies and NGOs.

The Swiss Federal Authority for the supervision of companies published a notice in the official trade journal on Wednesday calling for creditors in connection with the liquidation of the registered foundation in Geneva, stating that the foundation may be ordered to be dissolved if no creditor comes forward within the 30-day legal deadline, according to what the Federal Department of the Interior informed the "Agence France-Presse".

The 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, for its part... confirmed that it has never conducted activity in Switzerland in its corporate capacity and intends to dissolve the registered branch in Geneva,' according to the regulatory authority.

UN agencies and the majority of humanitarian organizations working in Gaza refuse to cooperate with this foundation, questioning its operational mechanisms and principles.

Since it opened food distribution points in May in Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire while waiting to access basic necessities at these sites.

The Swiss Federal Authority for the supervision of companies has requested the foundation to clarify its situation by the end of June, 'given that it does not comply with some of its legal obligations'.

The authority noted several shortcomings, stating that 'the foundation has no member in the founding council authorized to sign on its behalf and residing in Switzerland, it does not have the minimum of three members in the founding council according to its internal regulations, it has no bank account in Switzerland nor a valid address in Switzerland nor a revision body.'

At the beginning of March, Israel imposed a complete siege on Gaza, which is suffering under the burden of a devastating military operation launched by the Israeli army in the wake of an unprecedented attack by Hamas on the south of the Hebrew state on October 7, 2023.

This siege has led to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic goods, which have only been slightly alleviated with the allowance for the 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation' to establish food aid distribution points.

On July 1, about 170 international NGOs called for an end to this food aid distribution system, demanding the reinstatement of the mechanism that existed until March, coordinated by UN agencies and other organizations.