WEB DESK: Israel has announced plans to bar dozens of aid organizations from operating in Gaza within 36 hours, citing their failure to comply with new regulations requiring disclosure of personal information about Palestinian and international staff stationed in the area. Among the affected groups are leading humanitarian agencies such as ActionAid, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the International Rescue Committee.
This development comes amidst severe storms that have ravaged the region, toppling thousands of tents and intensifying an already dire humanitarian crisis. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs conveyed its decision on Tuesday, underscoring that organizations failing to adhere to the new registry guidelines would lose their operating permits.
Meanwhile, foreign ministers from ten nations, including the UK, Canada, France, and Japan, issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the worsening conditions in Gaza. They described the situation as catastrophic, pointing to widespread shelter shortages affecting 1.3 million people, critical gaps in medical care with over half of health facilities barely functional, and hazardous sanitation issues endangering nearly three-quarters of a million residents.
Heavy winter rainfall and plummeting temperatures compound the crisis, as global leaders call for unfettered humanitarian access. The ministers urged the United Nations and partner organizations to continue operations and for Israel to ease restrictions on dual-use imports, which have kept key supplies, such as medical equipment and building materials, from entering Gaza. They also stressed the need to reopen crossings, particularly Rafah, which remains largely inaccessible for aid despite its vital role.
Target aid delivery figures—set at 4,200 trucks per week—are currently far from being met. The official statement emphasized that these numbers should not be viewed as limits but rather as minimal benchmarks for relief efforts.
Part of this impasse can be traced back to stipulations in a 20-point agreement from October that established a tenuous ceasefire, ending two years of ongoing conflict in the region. Under this agreement, Israel committed to ensuring the immediate flow of critical humanitarian assistance into Gaza. However, broader progress toward a peace resolution has hit an impasse over key issues: Israel’s refusal to relinquish control of 53% of the territory without Hamas’s disarmament and the return of a final hostage held by the group. Hamas remains steadfast in its refusal to disarm entirely.
As international calls for rebuilding efforts grow louder, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on Monday about his hopes for reconstruction efforts in Gaza to begin soon but provided no concrete plans or details.
Israeli officials argue that they have issued multiple warnings about the updated registration requirements over recent months. They estimate that 15% of NGOs working in Gaza have not had their permits renewed due to non-compliance. “Organizations unwilling to meet security and transparency standards will see their licenses suspended,” outlined the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. They also claimed that some NGOs declined to share employee lists to prevent potential ties to militant groups.
The ministry has accused MSF of employing individuals allegedly linked to Palestinian militant factions, including a supposed Hamas sniper and a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. MSF quickly responded by denying the allegations, asserting it would never knowingly employ individuals involved in militant activities. The NGO stated that dialogues with Israeli authorities about registration are ongoing and confirmed that it has not yet received official notification regarding its license status.
This clash has highlighted a fundamental tension between Israeli security concerns and the operational restrictions now being faced by aid organizations working in Gaza. Some NGOs argue that the new measures break European data protection laws while also placing their staff at risk in an already volatile environment.
As these disputes escalate, the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen across Gaza, leaving millions dependent on aid amidst immense hardship and uncertainty.
