Israel's New Plot Against MSF, UNRWA, and Gaza Aid Agencies
TEHRAN (Defapress) - The Israeli regime has announced that it will suspend the activities of dozens of aid agencies in Gaza within the next 36 hours because they have failed to comply with the regime’s new and strict requirements regarding the personal information of their Palestinian and international staff. The list of organizations subject to the ban includes some of the world’s most well-known humanitarian organizations, such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
The decision comes as severe storms have destroyed tens of thousands of tents in Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Israel's decision to ban aid agencies from operating in Gaza came as the foreign ministers of 10 countries, including UK, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, issued a joint statement warning of the "re-deterioration of the humanitarian situation" in the region, describing the situation as "catastrophic" and calling for the lifting of Israeli restrictions on the entry of vital goods and the reopening of crossings.
The statement said: "1.3 million people continue to require urgent shelter support. More than half of the health facilities are only partially operational and face a shortage of essential medical equipment. Meanwhile, the complete collapse of health infrastructure has exposed 740,000 people to toxic floods."
The foreign ministers of the 10 countries, who warned in a joint statement of the “re-deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in the region, called for the continued work of the United Nations and its partners in Gaza and for the lifting of Israel’s unreasonable restrictions on the import of goods considered to be of dual use.
Under the 20-point agreement that established a fragile ceasefire in October, Israel is obliged to allow all aid to be sent to Gaza immediately. But further progress towards a lasting peace deal has stalled, with Israel saying it will not withdraw from the 53 percent of Gaza it still controls until Hamas disarms and returns the remains of the last hostages.
Separately, US President Donald Trump expressed hope on Monday that “reconstruction” in the Gaza Strip could begin soon, but did not provide further details.
Israel has announced that humanitarian organizations that fail to meet security and transparency requirements will have their licenses suspended. The ministry also added that those who “refused to provide a list of their Palestinian staff for investigation into possible links to terrorism have been given a formal warning and their licenses will be revoked as of January 1.”
Meanwhile, Israel alleged that MSF had employed two individuals with ties to Palestinian armed groups, including a Hamas sniper and a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In response to the Israeli regime’s false claim, MSF said: “We never knowingly employ individuals who are involved in military activities. We are still in discussions with the Israeli authorities regarding registration and have not yet received a decision on renewing our registration.”
The allegations against MSF are similar to those that Israel has consistently leveled against UNRWA, the main UN agency for the Palestinians. Under a law passed in Israel on Monday, electricity and water companies, telecommunications providers, and banks will be forced to cut off their services to UNRWA.
Other major organizations whose licenses were not renewed include Care International and parts of major charities such as Oxfam and Caritas. All of them provide a range of social services, including food distribution, healthcare, disability services, education, and mental health.
Across the square, Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s policy officer in the occupied Palestinian territories, told Reuters that the organization’s Palestinian staff and partners would continue to support the people of Gaza, but forcing aid agencies to rely on local procurement was part of a wider plot to dismantle the humanitarian aid system.
