Israel NGO ban pushes Gaza into the abyss

As of 1 January, the operating licenses of 37 international NGOs working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem have been officially suspended, by ‘Israeli’ authorities.

NGOs suspended for refusing to hand over sensitive information to Israeli occupation authorities

The organisations have until 1 March before they must halt all their activities in the occupied territory. They include many prominent aid agencies such as the International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)).

NGOs warn this will have a catastrophic impact on an already dire humanitarian situation, if left unchallenged. In a statement, UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, condemned this deliberate and calculated move, calling ‘Israel’s’ suspension of these aid agencies “outrageous”. The Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) says the occupation’s targeting of International Institutions is a “continuation of the crime of genocide by undermining the humanitarian response.”

The deregistered organisations will no longer be permitted to bring international staff or supplies into the occupied territory. But some of them, including MSF, say they are already being prevented from doing this.

Claire San Filippo is Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emergency coordinator for Palestine. She tells us:

  “Today, we have 45 Doctors Without Borders trucks that are blocked, and we’re waiting for authorisation to bring supplies in. In the past few days all our supplies and staff movements into Gaza have been refused. So we continue to engage with the Israeli authorities, to maintain our vital operations and support the health system that has largely been destroyed.”

The occupation says the NGO’s had their licenses revoked because they failed to meet the new registration requirements introduced in 2025. These include providing extensive disclosures on staff, funding sources, and operational information. Israeli occupation authorities claim the measure is necessary “to prevent the infiltration of terrorist operatives into humanitarian structures”.

MSF: “Israeli authorities ignoring repeated requests for a meeting,” spread false accusations instead

According to San Filippo, Israeli occupation authorities accuse MSF of not engaging with the registration process, but this is not true. She claims the organisation has submitted the majority of the required information to the best of its ability, but is worried about handing over information about staff from Gaza- with good reason. ‘Israel’ has targeted and killed more than 560 aid workers, and at least 1500 health workers in Gaza since 7 October, 2023. The vast majority of these have been Palestinian.

San Filippo says: “We have serious concerns about one specific requirement- sharing personal information about Palestinian staff with Israeli authorities. These concerns are heightened by the fact Israeli forces in Gaza have killed 15 of our Palestinian colleagues. We have engaged with the authorities to ask for guarantees about how such sensitive detail would be used, stored or shared, but they’ve not engaged with our concerns and have ignored repeated requests from MSF for a meeting.”

Instead, the NGO has been the target of a disinformation campaign, with the occupation spreading false allegations in the media about MSF knowingly hiring staff involved in armed activities.

San Filippo argues:

“We would never knowingly employ anyone who is part of an armed group. This would obviously contradict our core values and ethics, and put the team and patients at great risk. So we very strongly refute these allegations, and continue to seek dialogue with the Israeli authorities, to understand how these details are going to be used.”

The occupation’s move to ban these NGOs from operating in the occupied Palestinian territory could not come at a worse time. In the West Bank, violence against Palestinians has reached unprecedented levels.

Gaza “nothing short of catastrophic”

In Gaza, disease is spreading. Winter weather batters the tents of the hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced., and ‘Israel’ continues killing and maiming Palestinians on a daily basis.

San Filippo tells us the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “nothing short of catastrophic”, at a time when its healthcare system has been obliterated by ‘Israel’.

“The needs are staggering, and are not being met today. This is due to the deliberate restrictions and delays imposed by the Israeli authorities on the entry of international supplies. Doctors Without Borders continues to see and treat people who have been injured, burnt, and traumatised. And we continue to treat pregnant and lactating mothers, and children under five who are malnourished. Lack of water, sanitation and nutritious food also mean infections of all types are rife.”

The Israeli occupation is legally obliged to ensure basic needs and essential supplies are met for the civilian population. It must also facilitate the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. Revoking the licenses of these NGOs is a clear violation of the law.

Neve Gordon is professor of international law and human rights at Queen Mary University of London. He is also the author of several books. These include Israel’s Occupation and Human Shields: A history of people in the line of fire.

Gordon says: “Israel, as the occupying power, is responsible for the needs of the population. The minute it doesn’t do that, it is in contravention of the law. This is also collective punishment, as Israel isn’t targeting specific individuals but the population as a whole. By not allowing these humanitarian organisations to work in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Israel is abdicating this responsibility big time”.

The affected NGOs not only bear witness to ‘Israel’s’ war crimes and crimes against humanity. They also actively channel information outside of the Gaza Strip, to inform the public. If they are banned from operating, the information they share with the world will be silenced.

Food and aid used as a political tool

Suspending their work is also about depriving the civilian population of objects indispensable for their survival. According to Gordon, we should not see this as an isolated act, but as a long history and process– from 1967 until today- of using food and aid as a mechanism of control.

 “For years, Gaza’s population has been kept on the verge of catastrophe. So with every cycle of violence there are rising amounts of malnutrition. What we see now, with these 37 delegitimized, criminalized organisations, is just another step in that direction. The idea is to make life so miserable that people will either leave or bow down to every one of Israel’s demands.”

During this genocide, the occupation’s first move was the criminalisation campaign against UNRWA. This organisation is the largest and most experienced relief agency working in the Strip. It is also one that is essential to the well-being and survival of Palestinians. ‘Israel’ claimed, without evidence, that 12 of the 13,000 UNRWA employees in Gaza were Hamas or Islamic Jihad activists. Then there was the creation of the ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ (GHF), a joint ‘Israeli’ / US venture. Far from being a humanitarian agency, GHF was instead a “mechanism of dehumanisation and orchestrated killing”.

The role of international NGOs is irreplaceable. Blocking them from delivering life-saving assistance would have a devastating impact on the Palestinian population. They deliver over half of all food assistance in Gaza, and run or support 60 per cent of field hospitals. They also implement nearly three-quarters of shelter and non-food item activities, and provide all treatment for children with severe acute malnutrition. 

San Filippo says, in 2025 alone, in Gaza, MSF managed over 100,000 trauma cases. It carried out almost 800,000 outpatient consultations, performed nearly 23,000 surgeries, and assisted in over 10,000 deliveries. MSF also provided over 40,000 mental health sessions, and distributed 700 million litres of water. While in the West Bank, the NGO provides essential psychological care to Palestinians.

Complicity of Western governments including UK

The suspension of these live-saving aid agencies sets a dangerous precedent- the weaponisation of humanitarian access. It sends the message that those who provide life saving support and bear witness can be deliberately vilified and criminalised. It sends the message that it is fine for NGOs to become legitimate targets of the ‘Israeli’ state.

Western governments, including the UK, have played a decisive role in enabling the deregistration of these NGOs. They have refused to enforce international law. Instead, they provide political cover for the occupation. the genocidal violence of the zionist regime. They have also continued military and diplomatic support for the zionist regime throughout its genocidal violence towards Palestinians. Refusing to enforce international law, suspend arms transfers, or hold Israel accountable, means these governments are complicit in collective punishment. Their statements of “concern” mean nothing as humanitarian agencies are shut down and civilians are starved, bombed, and silenced.

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