Israel has ordered the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) to suspend its cooperation with the Turkish aid organization Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Gaza, a move the U.N. agency says could cut off life-saving food and nutrition assistance to more than 166,000 Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.
The decision follows an order issued by Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which instructed the WFP to immediately cease fuel transfers and all forms of support to the IHH, officially known as the Humanitarian Relief Foundation.
"The WFP has been instructed by the Israeli authorities to immediately suspend fuel provision and all activities with its partner IHH, cutting off assistance to more than 166,000 people who rely on daily hot meals, bread and nutrition support to survive," a WFP spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday.
The IHH is a Turkish nongovernmental organization that provides humanitarian assistance and conducts search and rescue operations in crisis zones around the world. The organization has been operating in Gaza in partnership with the WFP since January 2024.
Israel designated the IHH a terrorist organization in 2008, alleging links to Hamas. The Turkish aid group has repeatedly rejected such accusations.
In a statement, the WFP said its partnership with the IHH was established to help reach underserved communities in Gaza amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
"The WFP's partnership with the IHH was established at a time of extreme need, particularly to reach underserved areas," the agency said, adding that the organization had undergone extensive vetting procedures before cooperation began.
COGAT announced Thursday that it had ordered the WFP to halt coordination with the IHH after learning that the U.N. agency had transferred fuel within Gaza to the Turkish organization.
In a letter to WFP leadership, COGAT chief Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian demanded the "immediate suspension of fuel distribution and all other support" provided to the IHH.
Israeli authorities also accused the IHH of supporting flotilla initiatives that have attempted to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza.
"Israel will not permit the transfer of resources to entities linked to Hamas under humanitarian cover," COGAT said in a statement.
The WFP warned that the suspension would have immediate consequences for vulnerable civilians already facing severe shortages of food and basic necessities.
According to the agency, the decision halts the distribution of approximately 111,000 meals per day and interrupts nutritional assistance for around 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children at risk of malnutrition.
The development comes as humanitarian organizations continue to warn of deteriorating conditions in Gaza despite a cease-fire agreement intended to halt the conflict that erupted following Israeli attacks on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.
Three international aid organizations said Thursday that conditions in the territory remain catastrophic, accusing Israel of continuing to restrict the entry of essential humanitarian supplies.
Despite the cease-fire, violence has continued across Gaza, with Israeli airstrikes targeting the enclave on a regular basis.
With an estimated 1.7 million people facing fragile food security conditions, the WFP urged that humanitarian operations be allowed to continue without interruption.
