Israel Suspends 37 Aid Organisations from Operating in Gaza for Non-Compliance with New Rules
Israel has suspended 37 aid organisations from operating in Gaza, representing about 15% of groups active there, due to non-compliance with new registration rules. These new regulations require organisations to register the names of their workers and bar those that have called for boycotts of Israel, denied the October 7 attack, or supported court cases against Israeli leaders or soldiers.
Among the suspended groups is Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders. Israel alleges that some MSF staff are linked to Hamas or Islamic Jihad, claims that MSF has denied. Other suspended organisations include Action Against Hunger, ActionAid, CARE, and the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The licences for these groups will be revoked on January 1, and groups based in Israel must leave Gaza by March 1. Appeals against the suspension are allowed.
Humanitarian groups have warned that this move will have a catastrophic impact on Gaza, which relies heavily on aid for essential services. MSF stated that it supports around 20% of hospital beds and a third of births in Gaza.
The suspension comes amid a fragile ceasefire in place since October. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, 71,266 Palestinians have been killed, a figure considered reliable by the UN and independent experts, though Israel disputes its numbers.
Some organisations explained that they did not provide information on Palestinian staff due to safety concerns and European data protection laws.
