Israel has suspended more than 30 international humanitarian organizations, including prominent groups like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip. The move, announced Tuesday, comes after the groups failed to comply with new Israeli registration rules that the government says are designed to prevent militant infiltration of aid operations.
New Rules and Immediate Fallout
The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs stated that the suspended groups represent about 15% of the organizations working in Gaza. The new regulations, announced early this year, require aid groups to register their workers' names and provide detailed information on funding and operations to continue their work.
The rules also include ideological criteria, disqualifying organizations that have called for boycotts against Israel, denied the October 7 attack, or expressed support for international court cases against Israeli soldiers or leaders.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli framed the decision as a security necessity. "The message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome — the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not," he said.
Aid Groups Warn of Catastrophic Impact
The affected organizations have strongly criticized the suspensions, warning they will severely harm civilians in Gaza who are desperately in need of assistance. They argue the rules are arbitrary and that Israel has been vague about how collected data will be used, raising safety concerns for local staff.
Doctors Without Borders, which supports roughly 20% of hospital beds and a third of births in Gaza, said Israel's decision would have a "catastrophic impact." The group also denied Israeli claims that some of its workers were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad, stating, "MSF would never knowingly employ people engaging in military activity."
Shaina Low, a communications adviser for the suspended Norwegian Refugee Council, highlighted the timing as devastating, coming less than three months into a fragile ceasefire. "Despite the ceasefire, the needs in Gaza are enormous and yet we and dozens of other organizations are and will continue to be blocked from bringing in essential life-saving assistance," Low said.
She explained that many groups refused to submit staff lists due to fears Israeli forces would target workers and because of European data protection laws. "In Gaza, we saw hundreds of aid workers get killed," Low noted.
Military Claims and Broader Context
Israel's defense body overseeing aid to Gaza, COGAT, claimed the suspended organizations contribute less than 1% of total aid entering the strip. It stated that aid would continue from over 20 other groups that received permits, and that the registration process aims "to prevent the exploitation of aid by Hamas."
This is not an isolated incident. Israel has previously targeted major aid agencies, banning the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from its territory in January after months of accusations that it was infiltrated by Hamas. The United Nations has consistently denied such claims.
Athena Rayburn, executive director of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), said Israel failed to confirm that data from the new rules wouldn't be used for military intelligence. "Agreeing for a party to the conflict to vet our staff... is a violation of humanitarian principles," she stated, adding that offers for alternative vetting were refused.
The suspension means affected groups will have their licenses revoked on January 1. If based in Israel or East Jerusalem, they must close offices and leave by March 1, though they can appeal the decision.
Civilian Toll Continues
Amid the aid dispute, violence continues to claim lives. On Tuesday, Gaza's Shifa Hospital reported a 10-year-old girl was killed and another person wounded by Israeli fire near the "Yellow Line" in Gaza City, an area delineating Israeli control. The Israeli military did not immediately comment but has said troops will target anyone approaching or threatening soldiers near the line.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Monday that 71,266 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, a figure considered reliable by the UN but disputed by Israel.
