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 March 1, which the United Nations has warned will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

“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.

In March, Israel gave a ten-month deadline to NGOs to comply with the new rules, which demand 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 January 1, 2026, and that they must complete the cessation of their activities by March 1, 2026,” the ministry said Thursday.

‘WEAPONISATION OF BUREAUCRACY’

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”.

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

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