Deepening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel announced Tuesday it will bar more than two dozen aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, a move critics say further undermines lifesaving relief efforts and reflects Israel’s increasingly unchecked restrictions on humanitarian work amid the fragile cease-fire after its genocidal war on the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said the ban, set to take effect Jan. 1, targets organizations it claims failed to comply with new and sweeping vetting rules requiring extensive disclosure of staff, funding, and operations. Human rights groups warn that the measures lack transparency and due process, effectively criminalizing aid work as Gaza faces widespread displacement, hunger, and the collapse of its health system.
International organizations have said Israel’s rules are arbitrary and could endanger staff. The ministry said around 25 organizations, or 15%, of the NGOs working in Gaza did not have their permits renewed.
Israel and international organizations have been at odds over the amount of aid going into Gaza. Israel claims it is upholding the aid commitments laid out in the latest cease-fire that took effect Oct. 10, but humanitarian organizations dispute Israel’s numbers and say more aid is desperately needed in the devastated Palestinian territory of over 2 million people.
