Israel has announced it will suspend the operations of dozens of humanitarian organisations working in Gaza within 36 hours, citing their failure to comply with new registration requirements that demand detailed personal information on Palestinian and international staff.
Among the organisations affected are some of the world’s best-known aid groups, including ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
The decision, announced on Tuesday by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, comes as fierce winter storms have destroyed thousands of tents across Gaza, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
Foreign ministers from 10 countries have voiced alarm over what they described as a “renewed deterioration” of conditions in the territory, calling the situation “catastrophic”.
In a joint statement released by the UK Foreign Office, ministers from Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland warned that civilians were facing “appalling conditions” as winter sets in, with heavy rainfall and falling temperatures.
They said 1.3 million people remain in urgent need of shelter, more than half of health facilities are only partially operational, and shortages of essential medical equipment persist. The collapse of sanitation systems has left about 740,000 people vulnerable to toxic flooding.
The ministers urged Israel to allow the UN and its partners to continue humanitarian work in Gaza and called for the lifting of what they described as “unreasonable restrictions” on imports deemed to have potential dual military use.
Israel has blocked hundreds of items from entering Gaza on the grounds that they could be used by Hamas to rebuild tunnels or for military purposes. Aid groups say many of the barred items include essential medical and shelter supplies.
The ministers also called for the opening of crossings to increase the flow of humanitarian aid, noting that key routes, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt, remain closed or heavily restricted.
They criticised delays caused by customs procedures and extensive screenings, saying commercial cargo was being allowed through more easily than humanitarian supplies.
“The target of 4,200 trucks per week should be a floor, not a ceiling,” the statement said, adding that higher volumes were needed to meet the scale of humanitarian need.
Under a 20-point agreement that enabled a fragile ceasefire to begin in October, Israel is required to allow full humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
The ceasefire brought an end to two years of intense conflict, but progress towards a lasting peace has stalled. Israel has said it will not withdraw from the 53% of Gaza it still controls until Hamas disarms and returns the remains of the last hostage it is holding. Hamas has refused to commit to full disarmament.
Speaking on Monday, Donald Trump said he hoped reconstruction in Gaza could begin soon, but provided no further details.
Israeli officials said aid organisations had been given ample warning about the new registration rules and that around 15% of NGOs operating in Gaza had not had their permits renewed.
The ministry said organisations that failed to meet security and transparency requirements would have their licences suspended, including those that refused to submit staff lists to rule out links to militant groups.
Aid organisations have argued that the requirements conflict with European data protection laws and could put their staff at risk.
In its statement, the ministry alleged that an investigation found MSF employed two individuals with links to Palestinian militant groups. MSF denied the claim, saying it would never knowingly employ anyone engaged in military activity.
The ministry did not say whether MSF’s licence had been revoked. MSF said it was still in discussions with Israeli authorities and had not yet received a final decision on its registration.
The allegations mirror earlier claims made by Israel against Unrwa, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees. A new Israeli law will cut Unrwa off from electricity, water, communications and banking services, following earlier legislation that barred it from operating in Israel.
The international court of justice has cleared Unrwa of allegations of bias.
Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said the organisations facing suspension had not delivered aid since the ceasefire began and had previously accounted for only about 1% of total aid entering Gaza.
It said the decision would not reduce the overall volume of humanitarian aid.
Other organisations whose permits have not been renewed include Care International and branches of Oxfam and Caritas. These groups provide services ranging from food distribution and healthcare to education, disability support and mental health care.
The ministry said the organisations were given 10 months to comply with the requirements but failed to do so. It added that of around 100 registration requests submitted by late November, only 14 had been rejected, with the rest approved or still under review.
Oxfam’s policy lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Bushra Khalidi, said Palestinian staff and partners would continue supporting communities but warned that forcing aid groups to rely on locally sourced supplies amounted to a dismantling of the humanitarian aid system in Gaza.
