Measure valid from 2026, affects other groups operating in the region and requires information about employees and financing
The Israeli government ordered the suspension of more than 30 humanitarian organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, including (Doctors Without Borders) and , for not complying with new registration rules. The decision was announced on Tuesday (Dec 30, 2025) and will come into force in January 2026, affecting approximately 15% of entities working in the Palestinian territory.
The new regulations require organizations to register the names of their employees and provide detailed information about funding and operations to continue working in Gaza.
Israel justifies the measure as a way to prevent Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating aid organizations, according to information from .
According to the Israeli, the rules were implemented because Hamas diverted supplies during the war, an accusation that the (United Nations) and aid groups deny.
The regulations also disqualify organizations that:
- have called for boycotts against Israel;
- denied;
- supported international court cases against Israeli soldiers or leaders.
The Minister of Diaspora Affairs, (Likud, right), stated: “The message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome – the exploitation of humanitarian structures for terrorism is not”.
The decision directly affects MSF, which supports around 20% of hospital beds and around 33% of births in the Palestinian territory. Israel accuses the organization of having some of its workers linked to Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
In response, MSF denied the accusations: “The MSF would never knowingly employ people involved in military activity.”
The suspension comes less than 3 months after the start of a ceasefire in the region. Affected organizations include international and local teams providing essential services to the people of Gaza.
The , the Israeli defense body that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza, said the organizations on the list contribute less than 1% of the total aid entering the Gaza Strip. The entity reported that assistance will continue to come through more than 20 organizations that have received permissions to continue operating.
Shaina Low, communications advisor at , said: “Despite the ceasefire, the needs in Gaza are enormous, and yet we and dozens of other organizations are and will continue to be blocked from bringing essential life-saving assistance.”.
The decision not to renew the licenses means, in practice, that offices in Israel and East Jerusalem will be closed and the organizations will not be able to send international staff or aid to Gaza. Organizations will have their licenses revoked on January 1st and, if they are located in Israel, they will need to leave by March 1st, with the possibility of appeal.
Athena Rayburn, executive director of , an organization representing more than 100 entities operating in the Palestinian territories, said Israel had not confirmed that data collected under the new regulations would not be used for military or intelligence purposes, raising serious security concerns.
“Agreeing for a party to the conflict to examine our personnel, especially under conditions of occupation, is a violation of humanitarian principles, specifically those of neutrality and independence”these.
