Israel to Ban 37 Aid Groups From Gaza Including MSF and Oxfam

Israel has announced it will prevent 37 aid organizations from operating in Gaza starting today unless they provide detailed information about their Palestinian staff.

The move has drawn criticism from both the United Nations and the European Union, with humanitarian groups warning it could worsen the already dire situation in the territory.

Several NGOs have told AFP that the new regulations could significantly disrupt food and medical deliveries, leaving many in Gaza without essential assistance. Israel’s deadline for submitting the required staff information is midnight yesterday.

Gilad Zwick, spokesman for Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, said the 37 organizations had refused to submit employee lists because some staff members are allegedly linked to Hamas or other militant groups. “We highly doubt that what has not been done in 10 months will suddenly happen in less than 12 hours,” Zwick said, adding that superficial compliance to extend operations would not be accepted.

Hamas condemned Israel’s decision as “criminal” and called on the international community, including the United Nations, to speak out against it.

Israel claims the rule is necessary to stop organizations it believes are supporting terrorism from working in Palestinian areas. The regulations also specify that actions “delegitimizing Israel” or denying events related to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack could result in license revocation.

Among the organizations affected is Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which Israel accuses of employing two staff members linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. MSF said it is seeking clarity and reassurances, emphasizing that sharing staff lists may violate international humanitarian law. Other NGOs on the list include the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision International, CARE, and Oxfam.

UN rights chief Volker Turk called Israel’s plan “outrageous” and urged other countries to push for a reversal, stating that suspending aid groups arbitrarily would make an already critical situation worse. The European Union echoed concerns, warning that the measure could block “life-saving” support from reaching Gaza.

UN Palestinian refugee agency chief Philippe Lazzarini described the move as setting a “dangerous precedent” and stressed that it undermines the principles of neutrality, independence, and impartiality essential to humanitarian work. UNRWA itself has faced scrutiny from Israel since last year, which accused some staff of supporting Hamas during the October 7 attack, though the agency insists no evidence has been provided for the claims.

Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of 10 countries, including France and the United Kingdom, called on Israel to ensure aid access in Gaza, describing the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic.” Out of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, 1.3 million still require urgent shelter assistance.

While a ceasefire deal on October 10 allowed for 600 aid trucks per day, only 100 to 300 trucks have delivered supplies daily, according to humanitarian groups. Israel’s COGAT office reported an average of 4,200 aid trucks per week, roughly 600 per day.

Israel’s ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, stated that 104 organizations had applied for registration under the new rules; nine were rejected, and 37 did not complete the process. She emphasized that the registration is designed to prevent aid from being exploited by Hamas.