Israel has announced it will revoke the operating licenses of 37 humanitarian organisations working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, citing non-compliance with new registration requirements introduced by the government.
Among the organisations affected are several prominent international NGOs, including ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee and the Norwegian Refugee Council. According to Israeli authorities, their licenses will be suspended from 1 January, with their activities required to cease within 60 days.
The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which oversees the registration process, said the decision was mainly due to the organisations’ failure to submit “complete and verifiable” personal information about their staff. The ministry argued that these details are necessary to prevent what it described as the infiltration of terrorist elements into humanitarian structures.
The move has drawn strong criticism from the international community. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of 10 countries — the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland — described the new rules as “restrictive” and “unacceptable”. They warned that shutting down the operations of these organisations would severely affect access to essential services, including healthcare.
The ministers stressed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains “catastrophic” and urged Israel to ensure that international aid organisations can operate in a stable and predictable manner.
Israel, however, maintains that the decision will not disrupt humanitarian assistance. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said aid continues to enter Gaza through what it called “approved and vetted channels”, including United Nations agencies, bilateral partners and authorised humanitarian organisations.
The Israeli military body Cogat, which manages access to Gaza, stated that the organisations facing suspension had not delivered aid during the current ceasefire period. It added that even previously, their combined contribution represented about 1% of total aid entering Gaza.
According to Israeli authorities, fewer than 15% of organisations providing humanitarian assistance were found to be in breach of the new regulatory framework. The criteria for rejection include denying Israel’s status as a Jewish and democratic state, rejecting the Holocaust or the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, supporting armed groups hostile to Israel, promoting international legal action against Israeli security forces, or backing boycott campaigns against the country.
Humanitarian actors have raised serious concerns about the new system. The Humanitarian Country Team for the Occupied Palestinian Territory — which includes UN agencies and more than 200 local and international organisations — warned that the registration rules threaten the ability of NGOs to operate in Gaza and the West Bank. The group said the criteria are vague, politicised and incompatible with humanitarian principles and international law.
The forum also noted that international NGOs currently play a central role in running or supporting field hospitals, primary healthcare centres, water and sanitation services, emergency shelters, nutrition programmes for children, and mine action activities in Gaza.
Defending the policy, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, said humanitarian aid remains welcome, but insisted that Israel would not tolerate what it views as the misuse of humanitarian frameworks for hostile purposes.
Other organisations affected by the decision include CARE, Medico International and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
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