International aid groups petition Israel’s Supreme Court to block a ban on 37 NGOs in Gaza and the West Bank, warning of catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
JERUSALEM: More than a dozen international humanitarian organisations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an order forcing 37 NGOs to cease operations in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The petition, described as unprecedented in scale, seeks an urgent interim injunction to suspend the closures pending a full judicial review.
Organisations including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council were notified their Israeli registrations had expired on December 30, 2025. They were given 60 days to renew by providing lists of their Palestinian staff, with the ban set to take effect from March 1.
The 17 petitioners argue the Israeli measures are incompatible with an occupying power’s obligations under international humanitarian law. They warn compliance would expose local employees to potential retaliation and undermine humanitarian neutrality.
“Turning humanitarian organisations into an information-gathering arm for a party to the conflict stands in total contradiction to the principle of neutrality,” the petition states.
The organisations say they collectively support over half of all food assistance in Gaza and 60% of field hospital operations. They also provide all inpatient treatment for children suffering severe acute malnutrition in the territory.
Athena Rayburn, executive director of the umbrella group AIDA, said NGO presence in Gaza, where foreign media is not allowed, allows outsiders to witness the war.
The petitioners say enforcement has already begun, with supplies blocked and visas denied to foreign staff. “We haven’t been able to get international staff inside Gaza since the beginning of January,” MSF head of mission Filipe Ribeiro told AFP.
The ban follows Israel’s hardening stance towards humanitarian actors, having banned the UN agency UNRWA from Israel in early 2025. The current ban stems from a change in rules for foreign organisations working with Palestinians in March 2025.
The absence of coordination with Israel complicates operations by denying entry to aid workers. Attorney Yotam Ben-Hillel, who filed the appeal, argued Israel acted without authority as registration was handled by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords.
“This is a new era in how Israel deals with international nonprofits,” Ben-Hillel said. He noted NGOs can lose registration if Israel deems they have “delegitimised Israel” by reporting on the territories.
The Israeli state had until Wednesday to provide the court with an answer to the petition.
The Sun Malaysia
