The UN and other aid agencies fear new Israeli registration rules for dozens of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) risk the collapse of the humanitarian response in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
INGOs not registered by 31 December face closure of their operations in Israel within 60 days, which the agencies say could severely disrupt healthcare and other life-saving services in Gaza.
Save the Children stated its application had not been approved and it was pursuing all available avenues to have this decision reconsidered. Meanwhile, the Israeli ministry of diaspora affairs mentioned that the departure of 'rogue organisations' would not affect the delivery of aid.
Fourteen out of the approximately 100 registration applications have been rejected so far, with 21 approved. The Ministry's registration system includes numerous criteria for rejection, including denying Israel's existence and promoting campaigns against it.
The Humanitarian Country Team expressed that the new system jeopardizes the operations of INGOs and underlined the significant role these organizations play in delivering essential services in Gaza. A warning was issued that the forced exit of these NGOs could close down one-third of Gaza’s health facilities, threatening vulnerable populations as winter approaches.
MSF also highlighted the dire consequences for health services in Gaza, stressing that international NGOs must be allowed to continue their impartial humanitarian response. Israeli officials noted that more time had been given for organizations to register, dismissing claims of mass rejections as misleading.
The ongoing situation remains critical, with warnings of far-reaching implications for Palestinian lives and health services.
