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Israel suspends operations of 37 aid organizations in Gaza
Israel will cancel the permits of 37 international and local aid groups operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, effective 1 January, citing non-compliance with updated registration requirements. Organizations have 60 days to cease activities.
Prominent groups affected
Among those losing authorization are ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Other suspended groups include CARE, Medico International, and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Israeli authorities stated the primary reason for revocation was the groups' failure to submit "complete and verifiable" personal details of their staff, which officials say is necessary to prevent infiltration by militant operatives.
International condemnation
Foreign ministers from ten nations, including the UK, France, and Canada, issued a joint statement denouncing the decision as "restrictive and unacceptable." They warned the closures would severely disrupt access to essential services like healthcare in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation remains "catastrophic."
"We call on Israel's government to ensure that international non-governmental organizations can operate in a sustained and predictable manner."
Joint statement by ten foreign ministers
Israel defends move, cites security concerns
Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which oversees registration, insisted the new measures would not affect the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. It stated that assistance continues through "approved and vetted channels," including UN agencies and bilateral partners.
Amichai Chikli, Israel's Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, said: "Humanitarian assistance is welcome-the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not."
Humanitarian impact and warnings
The Humanitarian Country Team for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a coalition of UN agencies and over 200 organizations, previously warned that the new registration system "fundamentally jeopardizes" INGO operations. It described the criteria as "vague, arbitrary, and highly politicized," adding that many groups cannot comply without violating international legal obligations or humanitarian principles.
According to the coalition, INGOs currently manage or support most of Gaza's field hospitals, primary healthcare centers, emergency shelters, water and sanitation services, nutrition programs for malnourished children, and critical mine action activities.
Aid volume claims
Cogat, the Israeli military body controlling Gaza's crossings, stated that the suspended organizations "did not bring aid into Gaza throughout the current ceasefire" and that their past contributions amounted to only about 1% of total aid volume. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs noted that fewer than 15% of humanitarian organizations in Gaza were found in violation of the new rules.
Despite recent improvements in food supplies following an October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, UN-backed experts reported that 100,000 people in Gaza still faced "catastrophic conditions" in November.
