Israel’s decision to ban 37 international aid groups from the West Bank and Gaza will worsen already desperate conditions for more than 1 million Palestinian war victims, a group of nongovernmental organizations warned.
The situation stems from Israel’s new registration requirements for global aid groups serving survivors of the two-year war between Israel and Hamas. At least 63,000 civilians were killed and 161,000 wounded in the conflict, according to the World Health Organization.
And the danger has not abated since a ceasefire took effect in October, WHO added. “Starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels ever since the conflict began almost two years ago. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.”
“Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.”
But Israel’s revocation of licenses for agencies like CARE, Oxfam, the International Rescue Committee, the American Friends Service Committee and Doctors without Borders will only magnify the suffering, 53 aid groups said in an open letter to Israeli officials.
The suspensions went into effect Jan. 1, and the groups affected have two months to cease operations.
“This is not a technical or administrative matter, but a deliberate policy choice with foreseeable consequences. If registrations are allowed to lapse, the Israeli government will obstruct humanitarian assistance at scale. Humanitarian access is not optional, conditional or political. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law,” Amnesty International, Churches for Middle East Peace, Islamic Relief, Pax Christi USA and other organizations said in the letter.
Last year, many of the same organizations protested the additional registration requirements Israel imposed on NGOs demanding detailed budgets, donor lists, employee and volunteer background checks to ensure aid workers do not support Palestinian statehood or opposition to Israel’s existence.
“Under the new provisions, INGOs already registered in Israel may face de-registration, while new applicants risk rejection based on arbitrary, politicized allegations, such as ‘delegitimizing Israel’ or expressing support for accountability for Israeli violations of international law,” the groups said in the May letter to Israel.
Now they are warning Israel’s actions will destabilize networks in which the targeted aid groups cooperate with the United Nations and Palestinian organizations to provide large volumes of critical aid.
“Despite the ceasefire, humanitarian needs remain extreme. In Gaza, one in four families survives on just one meal a day. Winter storms have displaced tens of thousands, leaving 1.3 million people in urgent need of shelter.”
International humanitarian groups provide most food assistance in Gaza, operate or assist 60% of field hospitals, organize most shelter and nonfood assistance operations and treat severely malnourished children, the letter explained.
“Their removal would close health facilities, halt food distributions, collapse shelter pipelines and cut off life-saving care. In the West Bank, ongoing military raids and settler violence continue to drive displacement. Further restrictions on INGOs would sharply reduce the reach and continuity of lifesaving assistance at a critical moment.”
Israel responded that the banned groups provide less than 1% of aid to Gazans, the Associated Press reported.