Israel's New NGO Rules Put Gaza's Humanitarian Lifeline at Risk of Collapse

The United Nations and leading international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) are warning that new Israeli registration rules could trigger a collapse of the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. With a December 31 deadline looming, dozens of aid groups face the closure of their operations within 60 days if not approved, a move agencies say could severely disrupt healthcare and other life-saving services for millions.

The new registration system, introduced in March, gives Israeli authorities broad grounds for rejection. According to Israel's ministry of diaspora affairs, criteria for denial include supporting boycotts of Israel, promoting "delegitimisation campaigns" against the state, or denying Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state.

In a stark warning last Wednesday, the Humanitarian Country Team—a forum including UN agencies and over 200 organizations—stated the system "fundamentally jeopardises" INGO operations. "The system relies on vague, arbitrary, and highly politicised criteria and imposes requirements that humanitarian organisations cannot meet without... compromising core humanitarian principles," the group said.

The stakes are incredibly high. According to the Humanitarian Country Team, INGOs currently run or support the majority of Gaza's field hospitals, primary healthcare centers, water and sanitation services, and nutrition centers for malnourished children. If they were forced to halt operations, the group estimates one in three health facilities in Gaza would close. "The UN will not be able to compensate for the collapse of INGOs' operations," it stressed.

Major aid groups are already facing the consequences. Save the Children confirmed on Monday that its registration application had not been approved. "We are pursuing all available avenues to have this decision reconsidered, including filing a petition with the Israeli courts," a spokesperson told the BBC. Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which supports six hospitals and runs two field hospitals in Gaza, said it is still awaiting a decision. Losing access, MSF warned, "would be a disaster for Palestinians."

The Israeli government defends the new rules as a necessary measure. A spokesman for the diaspora affairs ministry told the BBC that the registration deadline had already been extended and that organizations had "more than sufficient time to act." He asserted that claims of mass rejections were "false and misleading." The spokesman added, "Humanitarian aid will continue uninterrupted. The departure of rogue organisations whose real objective is to undermine the State of Israel under a humanitarian guise will not affect the ongoing delivery of aid."