Aid groups urge Israeli court to block ban on Gaza, West Bank operations
NEW TORK, Feb. 25 (YPA) – More than a dozen international humanitarian organisations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an imminent order that would force 37 NGOs to cease operations in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, warning of catastrophic consequences for Palestinians.
According to Agence France-Presse, several humanitarian organizations said in a joint statement that the implementation of an Israeli decision has already begun on the ground, including blocking the entry of supplies and denying visas to foreign staff.
The groups emphasized that the Fourth Geneva Convention, which governs the protection of civilians during armed conflicts, obliges “an occupying power to facilitate the delivery of aid to civilians under its control.”
On 30 December 2025, the organizations—including Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE International—were informed that their registration with Israeli authorities had expired.
They were given 60 days to renew it by submitting a list of their Palestinian staff members. The United Nations at the time urged “Israel” to reverse the decision, describing it as targeting organizations “indispensable” for delivering aid to the Gaza Strip.
The NGOs said that compliance would expose local employees to potential retaliation, undermine the principle of humanitarian neutrality and violate European data protection law, said the NGOs.
The organizations added that they collectively support or implement more than half of all food assistance in Gaza, 60% of field hospital operations and all inpatient treatment for children suffering severe acute malnutrition.
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