Israel has announced that starting January 1, 2026 will suspend further activities two dozen international humanitarian organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The decision concerns approximately 25 organizations, equal to approximately 15% of the NGOs active in the Palestinian enclave, and would be motivated by the failure to comply with the new rules imposed by the Israeli government for the operations of NGOs. In the context of a serious humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, still without running water and electricity, the decision risks making the emergency irrecoverable for the already tormented civilian population.
According to what was declared by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs, the organizations concerned did not obtain the renewal of their permits because they would not have met the new requirements regarding transparency relating to staff, funding and operating methods. In particular, Israel accuses Doctors Without Borders, one of the main health organizations present in Gaza, of not having clarified the role of some staff members who, according to the Israeli authorities, collaborated with Hamas and other militant groups. An accusation that Tel Aviv has leveled at other organizations in the past.
Doctors Without Borders had no immediate comment about the allegations. Previously, in 2024, the organization had rejected similar claims, saying it did not knowingly employ people involved in military activities. In recent days, however, the NGO had published a note highlighting the potential devastating effects of the provision. “The new measures introduced by Israel for the registration of international non-governmental organizations they risk depriving hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza of life-saving medical carewarns the team of our organization, one of the largest medical organizations currently operating in the Strip. The new provisions – they explained – could lead to the revocation of the registration of international NGOs starting from 1 January 2026. In fact, failure to register would prevent organisations, including ours, from providing essential services to the population of Gaza and the West Bank”.
A risk that has become reality. “Gaza’s health system is now destroyed, and if independent and experienced humanitarian organizations were to lose the ability to operate, it would result in disaster for the Palestinians. We ask to the Israeli authorities to ensure that international NGOs can continue to operate impartially and independently in Gaza. The humanitarian response, already limited, cannot be further reduced”. In 2025 alone, with a budget of over 100 million euros, MSF – as stated on the organization’s website – treated over 100,000 trauma patients, managed care for over 400 hospital beds, performed 22,700 surgeries on almost 10,000 patients, carried out almost 800,000 outpatient visits, administered 45,000 vaccinations, assisted more than 10,000 births, provided more than 40,000 individual mental health sessions – and group sessions for more than 60,000 people, distributed more than 700 million liters of water and produced almost 100 million liters of water, and currently manages about a third of the 2,300 hospital beds in the Strip.
Other international organizations had also criticized the new rules adopted by Israel, calling them arbitrary and warning that they could put the safety of humanitarian personnel at risk. Israel claims to respect its commitments under the latest ceasefire which came into force on 10 October. The NGOs, however, dispute the data provided by Tel Aviv and claim that in the war-ravaged Strip, much more aid to meet the needs of the population of over two million people.
