Israel is forcing Doctors Without Borders out of Gaza on 28 February

The Israeli authorities have issued a decision to end the activities of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the Gaza Strip and to require it to leave the Strip by 28 February. It’s a move that has raised widespread concerns among humanitarian and medical circles about the repercussions on civilians’ access to life-saving healthcare, given the near-total collapse of the health system.

The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism justified the decision by citing the organisation’s failure to provide lists of its Palestinian employees, an administrative measure that is now being imposed on a growing number of humanitarian organisations operating in the Strip. The ministry said that failure to comply with this requirement would result in the suspension of the humanitarian organisation’s operations and force it to leave Gaza within the specified deadline.

MSF out of Gaza – leaving countless Palestinians in dire need

In response, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) denied these allegations and considered that the decision was part of a broader context of increasing pressure and smear campaigns targeting relief organisations operating in Gaza and the West Bank, with the aim of reducing their ability to provide medical services independently and impartially.

The organisation confirmed that its legal registration to work in Gaza and the West Bank expired on 1 January 2026 and that it would be forced to cease all operations by 1 March unless the decision was reconsidered. It warned that this move would deprive hundreds of thousands of civilians of medical care and water, noting that its services in Gaza alone serve about half a million people.

MSF explained that, over the past few months, it had sought to open channels of dialogue with the Israeli authorities to renew its registration and clarify the administrative requirements, confirming its willingness to cooperate to ensure the continuation of medical care, provided that clear guarantees were given to protect its staff and maintain its operational independence.

The organisation stated that on 23 January, it informed the Israeli authorities of its initial willingness to share limited information about its staff as an exceptional measure, on condition that it be used for administrative purposes only and that its employees not be exposed to any security risks. However, it confirmed that it had not received any concrete assurances in this regard, either regarding the safety of its staff or the cessation of smear campaigns targeting it.

Featured image via the Canary