Gilbert Goh's charity to cut ties with Gaza hospital partnership over alleged terror links: 'We want to avoid ambiguity'因涉嫌与恐怖主义有关联，吴吉尔伯特的慈善机构将切断与加沙医院的合作关系：“我们希望避免任何歧义”。
Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh has pulled out of a possible partnership with a Palestinian hospital that may have ties to terrorism, he said in a statement by his charity on Wednesday (Sept 23).The 65-year-old's charity, Love Aid Singapore (LAS), has been active in food distribution and education in West Bank, Palestine.This comes after three Singapore ministries shared in a joint...
Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh has pulled out of a possible partnership with a Palestinian hospital that may have ties to terrorism, he said in a statement by his charity on Wednesday (Sept 23).
The 65-year-old's charity, Love Aid Singapore (LAS), has been active in food distribution and education in West Bank, Palestine.
This comes after three Singapore ministries shared in a joint statement that LAS does not require the Singapore Government's approval for its humanitarian operations in Palestine.
Goh had said earlier that he intended to sign a memorandum of understanding with Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza Strip — but the hospital is not affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, according to Singapore's Office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC).
Love Aid Singapore therefore has to do its own due diligence before deciding on the collaboration, the COC had said.
AsiaOne understands that Al-Awda Hospital —previously known as the Union of Health Work Committees — is allegedly affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has been designated a terrorist organisation by many countries.
Responding to queries from AsiaOne, LAS explained that it understands that Al-Awda participates in the Gaza Health Cluster and in humanitarian coordination meetings with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other humanitarian partners.
"However, LAS is not in a position to independently verify or comment conclusively on allegations concerning political affiliations," the organisation said.
"Given the concerns that have now been raised, our Gaza team will not proceed with the proposed partnership with Al-Awda.
"We want to avoid any ambiguity regarding the independence, neutrality, and humanitarian purpose of LAS operations."
LAS will instead explore "an alternative arrangement" that will allow its organisation's polyclinic to reopen under an "appropriate, transparent, and compliant structure", the statement added.
LAS' Singapore Love Polyclinic
The charity also stressed that it operates in Gaza in accordance with humanitarian operating principles, maintaining transparency, neutrality, impartiality and independence from all parties to the conflict.
Since the establishment of their Singapore Love Polyclinic nearly a year ago, its facilities have been run by a team selected directly by LAS and operates independently.
Explaining how the proposed memorandum first came up, LAS stated that it had declined to directly partner with the Palestinian Ministry of Health during the clinic's operations.
"We were subsequently advised that the clinic should work through a locally registered Palestinian health organisation, and Al-Awda was proposed to us as one of the established healthcare organisations with significant operational capacity in Gaza," LAS said.
The charity added that its preference remains that it has direct leadership and oversight of the clinic despite operational challenges in Gaza.
"This is an important medical facility with substantial capacity to serve the local population, and it carries Singapore's name.
"We therefore have a responsibility to ensure that its humanitarian work remains clearly independent, accountable, and focused solely on serving civilians."
khooyihang@asiaone.com
新加坡活动家吴嘉宝(Gilbert Goh)周三（9月23日）通过其慈善机构发表声明称，他已退出与一家可能与恐怖主义有关联的巴勒斯坦医院的潜在合作关系。
这位 65 岁老人的慈善机构“新加坡爱心援助会”（LAS）一直积极在巴勒斯坦西岸地区开展食品分发和教育活动。
此前，新加坡三个部门在一份联合声明中表示，LAS在巴勒斯坦开展人道主义行动不需要新加坡政府的批准。
吴作栋早前曾表示，他打算与加沙地带的阿瓦达医院签署谅解备忘录——但据新加坡慈善事务专员办公室（COC）称，该医院与巴勒斯坦权力机构没有关联。
申办委员会曾表示，因此，爱心援助新加坡组织在决定合作之前必须进行自己的尽职调查。
AsiaOne 了解到，Al-Awda 医院（前身为卫生工作委员会联盟）据称与巴勒斯坦解放人民阵线（PFLP）有关联，该组织已被许多国家认定为恐怖组织。
针对 AsiaOne 的询问，LAS 解释说，据其了解，Al-Awda 参与了加沙卫生集群，并与联合国人道主义事务协调厅和其他人道主义伙伴举行了人道主义协调会议。
“然而，LAS无法独立核实或对有关政治关系的指控作出最终评论，”该组织表示。
“鉴于目前提出的种种担忧，我们的加沙团队将不会继续推进与 Al-Awda 的拟议合作。
“我们希望避免在LAS行动的独立性、中立性和人道主义目的方面出现任何歧义。”
声明还补充说，LAS 将探索“替代安排”，使其机构的综合诊所能够在“适当、透明和合规的架构”下重新开放。
LAS新加坡爱心综合诊所
该慈善机构还强调，它在加沙的运作遵循人道主义原则，保持透明、中立、公正和独立于冲突各方。
自近一年前成立新加坡爱心综合诊所以来，其设施一直由新加坡救护车服务中心 (LAS) 直接挑选的团队运营，并独立运作。
LAS 解释了这份备忘录最初是如何提出的，并表示在诊所运营期间，它拒绝与巴勒斯坦卫生部直接合作。
“随后我们得到建议，诊所应该通过当地注册的巴勒斯坦卫生组织开展工作，而 Al-Awda 被推荐给我们，因为它是加沙地带一家拥有强大运营能力的成熟医疗机构，”LAS 表示。
该慈善机构补充说，尽管在加沙面临运营挑战，但它仍然倾向于对诊所进行直接领导和监督。
“这是一家重要的医疗机构，拥有强大的服务当地居民的能力，并且以新加坡的名字命名。”
“因此，我们有责任确保其人道主义工作保持绝对独立性、问责制，并完全专注于服务平民。”
khooyihang@asiaone.com