Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh’s charity, Love Aid Singapore, has decided not to proceed with a proposed partnership with Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza after concerns were raised about the hospital’s alleged links to a designated terrorist organisation.
The decision came after Singapore’s Office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC) met Goh on Sept. 21 to discuss his humanitarian operations in Gaza and his plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with the hospital. The COC said the decision to proceed with the partnership belonged to Love Aid Singapore, but stressed that the charity should conduct proper due diligence on potential partners.
Love Aid Singapore subsequently said its Gaza team would not move forward with the proposed arrangement. The charity said it wanted to avoid any ambiguity over the independence, neutrality and humanitarian purpose of its operations. It also said it could not independently verify allegations concerning political affiliations.
The concerns relate to Al-Awda Hospital’s historical association with the Union of Health Work Committees. The hospital has been reported as allegedly affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is designated as a terrorist organisation by several governments. The allegations were cited as a reason for the charity to reconsider the proposed partnership rather than proceed while questions remained unresolved.
The hospital’s relationship with Palestinian authorities was also clarified. The Palestinian Authority told Singapore officials that Al-Awda Hospital is not affiliated with the authority and that it has no role in managing the hospital.
The proposed partnership was initially being considered because Love Aid Singapore has been operating a Singapore-funded polyclinic in Gaza. Goh said registration difficulties had affected the clinic’s operations, prompting consideration of working through an established local healthcare organisation. He has since said he will explore registering Love Aid Singapore independently through legal representatives in the region.
Separately, Singapore authorities clarified that Love Aid Singapore does not need endorsement from the Singapore Government to register as a humanitarian organisation in Gaza or the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Authority, organisations conducting humanitarian operations there must register with its Ministry of Interior, but do not need approval from their home governments for that registration.
Singapore’s Government has encouraged people who wish to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza to use established channels, including the Palestinian Authority, international organisations such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme, and local charities including the Singapore Red Cross and Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation.
For Love Aid Singapore, the decision means its planned hospital partnership will not go ahead, while the charity searches for an alternative arrangement that would allow its medical work in Gaza to resume under a structure it considers transparent, compliant and independently overseen.
