In a move that has drawn sharp international condemnation, the Israeli government has announced it will ban 37 international aid organisations from operating in the Gaza Strip. The ban, set to take effect from Thursday, hinges on the groups' failure to comply with new Israeli regulations requiring detailed information about their Palestinian staff members.
Deadline Passes, Ban Looms
Israel's deadline for the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to submit the required staff lists expired at midnight on Wednesday. A spokesman for the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Gilad Zwick, stated that the named groups had refused to provide the lists over a ten-month period. He expressed doubt that they would comply in the final hours before the deadline.
"They refuse to provide lists of their Palestinian employees because they know, just as we know, that some of them are involved in terrorism or linked to Hamas," Zwick told AFP. He emphasised that Israel would not accept "any cooperation that is just for show, simply to get an extension."
International Outcry and Humanitarian Impact
The decision has been met with immediate criticism from major global bodies. The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, labelled the suspension "outrageous" and warned it would worsen the already intolerable situation for Gaza's civilians. He urged states to pressure Israel to reverse course.
Similarly, the European Union warned that the move would block "life-saving" assistance. EU humanitarian chief Hadja Lahbib stated on social media platform X that international humanitarian law is clear: aid must reach those in need.
Several of the affected NGOs have warned that the new rules will severely impact the delivery of food and medical supplies to Gaza. This comes at a time when humanitarian agencies consistently report that the volume of aid entering the territory is grossly inadequate for the needs of its 2.2 million inhabitants.
Israel's Justification and Specific Allegations
Israel defends the regulation as a necessary step to "strengthen and update" oversight of international NGOs and to prevent groups it accuses of supporting terrorism from operating in Palestinian territories. The government specified that actions like "de-legitimising Israel" or denying the events of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack could be grounds for license withdrawal.
Among the 37 organisations facing the ban are several major global aid providers, including:
- Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
- Norwegian Refugee Council
- World Vision International
- CARE
- Oxfam
Israel has specifically accused MSF of having two employees who were members of the Palestinian militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas.
The announcement comes amidst a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since October, following the devastating war triggered by the Hamas attack. Just a day before the ban was confirmed, the foreign ministers of ten countries, including France and the United Kingdom, had jointly called on Israel to "guarantee access" to aid for Gaza, describing the humanitarian situation there as "catastrophic."
