Israel says it is suspending more than 30 humanitarian organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, from operating in Gaza for failing to comply with new registration rules.
Israel has said the rules are aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating the aid organisations – but the relief agencies have said the ban will harm the enclave’s population, which remains desperately in need of aid.
Under the new regulations, any organisation that has called for boycotts against Israel, denied the October 7 attack or shared support for any of the court cases against Israeli leaders or soldiers can be disqualified from working in the Gaza Strip.
Another requirement is for aid groups to register the names of their workers.
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has said 37 groups failed to comply with the rules and will be suspended. This is roughly 15% of the organisations operating in Gaza.
It said Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, has failed to respond to Israeli claims that some of its workers were associated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
MSF has denied the accusations about their staff. It also said Israel’s decision will have a catastrophic impact in Gaza, where they support around 20% of hospital beds and a third of births.
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Other suspended groups include Action Against Hunger, ActionAid and CARE.
While Israel has alleged the move will have a limited impact on the ground, the affected organisations say the timing is devastating.
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Shaina Low, from the now-suspended Norwegian Refugee Council, said: “Despite the ceasefire, the needs in Gaza are enormous.”
“Not being able to send staff into Gaza means all of the workload falls on our exhausted local staff,” she continued.
The fragile ceasefire has been in place since October.
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Some of the groups have said they did not meet Israel’s demand for information on their Palestinian staff due to fears they could be targeted by Israel, and because of European data protection laws.
Israel has said the groups will have their licences revoked on 1 January and if they are located in Israel, they must leave by 1 March. They can appeal the decisions.
Israeli fire kills 10-year-old, hospital says
The suspension comes as the Shifa Hospital said on Tuesday that Israeli fire had killed a 10-year-old girl and wounded another person in Gaza City near the yellow line that delineates areas under Israeli control.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident but has said troops operating near the yellow line would target anyone who approached or threatened soldiers.
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The Gaza Health Ministry said on Monday that 71,266 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. This total did not include the girl.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The United Nations and independent experts consider the Health Ministry the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.
