Above photo: MSF.
Israel’s diaspora minister announced the ban.
And accused aid groups of ‘exploiting’ humanitarian frameworks for ‘terrorism’.
Israel has announced the suspension of over three dozen humanitarian groups working in Gaza, citing their failure to meet new requirements demanding that the organizations hand over the personal details of staff members.
The list includes some of the most prominent international groups such as Doctors Without Borders, Action Aid, and Defense for Children International.
“The message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome – the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not,” said Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli.
The new requirements were announced earlier in 2025. The Diaspora Ministry said the 37 groups – 15 percent of aid organizations operating in Gaza – have failed to comply. As a result, they will have their licenses revoked. The ban will take effect on New Year’s Day.
The foreign ministers of the UK, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland said in a joint statement released by the UK’s Foreign Office on Tuesday that “civilians in Gaza are facing appalling conditions with heavy rainfall and temperatures dropping,” while expressing “serious concern” over deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
The statement called for a continuation of UN humanitarian work in Gaza and for the lifting of “unreasonable [Israeli] restrictions on imports considered to have a dual use.”
The EU has also condemned the Israeli decision, saying it will block life-saving aid.
“The EU has been clear: the NGO registration law cannot be implemented in its current form. IHL (international humanitarian law) leaves no room for doubt: aid must reach those in need,” said EU humanitarian chief Hadja Lahbib.
Israel’s ban on the top UN refugee agency, UNRWA, took effect this year and has severely affected its operations. Tel Aviv claimed that members of the organization took part in the 7 October attacks, but did not provide sufficient evidence.
The new ban on aid groups comes as humanitarian assistance entering Gaza remains far below the levels required under the ceasefire agreement, with Israel continuing to impose a brutal blockade on the Strip.
“A situation that is already horrific will be made even more horrific. The changes will be immediate, and they will be ruthless,” said James Smith, a British doctor who has volunteered in Gaza and was denied re-entry by Tel Aviv.
The UN-backed global hunger monitor, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), said on 19 December that while the spread of famine in Gaza has been contained, food security “remains critical.”
“Over the next 12 months, across the entire Gaza Strip, nearly 101,000 children aged 6–59 months are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition and require treatment, with more than 31,000 severe cases. During the same period, 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will also face acute malnutrition and require treatment,” the report said.
Due to Israel’s destruction of the health sector and a severe lack of resources, over 1,000 Palestinian patients have died over the past year while waiting for urgent medical evacuation, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) recently revealed.
Israel has committed more than 700 violations of the Gaza ceasefire since it took effect in October, killing at least 414 people, according to Gaza authorities. The Government Media Office said on 28 December that an average of just 253 fuel and aid trucks are entering Gaza daily, far below the 500 required under the agreement, amounting to only 42 percent of the pledged volume. Over the 80-day period, only 19,764 of the 48,000 trucks meant to enter Gaza were allowed through, with critical aid still missing, including heavy machinery urgently needed for rubble removal.
