(TNND) — Several humanitarian organizations operating in the Gaza Strip are being forced to suspend operations in the New Year for failing to meet Israel’s new rules to vet international groups.
The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said the organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, failed to meet the requirements of sharing staff, funding and operations information. Doctors Without Borders was also accused of failing to clarify the roles of some staff who Israel says cooperated with Hamas and other militant groups.
The Israeli defense body that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, released a statement after the announcement, clarifying “the organizations that received notice regarding the suspension of their activities in the Gaza Strip did not bring aid into Gaza throughout the current ceasefire, and even in the past their combined contribution amounted to only about 1% of the total aid volume.”
Other major organizations whose permits weren’t renewed include the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, and divisions of major charities such as Oxfam and Caritas, according to a list from the ministry. The organizations help with a variety of social services, including food distribution, health care, disability services, education and mental health.
“The registration process is intended to prevent the exploitation of aid by Hamas, which in the past operated under the cover of certain international aid organizations, knowingly or unknowingly,” COGAT said in its statement.
COGAT also confirmed that the volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza in the future will not be impacted.
“In line with this, 4,200 trucks will continue to enter every week via the UN, donor countries, the private sector, and more than 20 international organizations that operate lawfully and continue to bring aid into Gaza in a full and ongoing manner,” the organization said.
COGAT claimed that Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, operated only five primary care clinics and medical points out of approximately 220, as well as only two field hospitals out of 15.
“In addition, from the start of the current ceasefire until today, the organization has brought in only 95 aid trucks, a negligible number compared to the tens of thousands of trucks that entered during the ceasefire,” the organization stated. “These figures illustrate that the organization’s contribution to Gaza’s healthcare system does not justify the media campaign it is leading.”
Aid groups will have their license revoked on Jan. 1, and if they are located in Israel, they will need to leave by March 1, according to the ministry.
“The message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome — the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not,” said Amichai Chikli, the minister of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism.
In October 2024, Israel tried to crack down on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, and accused it of being infiltrated by Hamas, siphoning off aid and using the agency’s facilities as shields.
UNRWA denied knowingly aiding armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants.
After months of criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, Israel banned UNRWA from operating on its territory in January. The U.S., formerly the largest donor to UNRWA, halted funding to the agency in early 2024.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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