Israel says it 'will enforce' ban on 37 NGOs in Gaza

Israel said on Thursday that 37 international NGOs operating in Gaza had not complied with a deadline to meet "security and transparency standards," in particular disclosing information on their Palestinian staff, and that it "will enforce" a ban on their activities.

The groups will now be required to cease their operations by 1 March, which the United Nations has warned will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Strip.

"Organisations that have failed to meet required security and transparency standards will have their licenses suspended," the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said in a statement on Thursday.

Several NGOs have said the requirements contravene international humanitarian law or endanger their independence, while Israel has faced international criticism in the run-up to the deadline.

Israel says the new regulation aims to prevent bodies it accuses of supporting terrorism from operating in the Palestinian territories.

"The primary failure identified was the refusal to provide complete and verifiable information regarding their employees, a critical requirement designed to prevent the infiltration of terrorist operatives into humanitarian structures," the ministry said.

Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli said "the message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome — the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not".

In March, Israel set a 10-month deadline for NGOs to comply with the new rules, which require the "full disclosure of personnel, funding sources, and operational structures."

The deadline expired on Wednesday.

The 37 NGOs "were formally notified that their licenses would be revoked as of 1 January 2026, and that they must complete the cessation of their activities by 1 March 2026," the ministry said Thursday.

Numerous prominent humanitarian organisations have been affected by the ban, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), World Vision International, and Oxfam, according to the ministry's list.

In the case of MSF, Israel accused it of having two employees who were members of Palestinian militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

MSF said earlier this week that the request to share a list of its staff "may be in violation of Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law" and said it "would never knowingly employ people engaging in military activity".

On Thursday, 18 Israel-based NGOs denounced the decision to ban their international peers, saying "the new registration framework violates core humanitarian principles of independence and neutrality."

UN Palestinian refugee agency chief Philippe Lazzarini said the move sets a "dangerous precedent".

"Failing to push back against attempts to control the work of aid organisations will further undermine the basic humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence, impartiality and humanity underpinning aid work across the world," he said on X.