Humanitarian organizations are fighting back against an Israeli directive that threatens to shut down critical aid operations in Gaza within days.
A coalition of 37 international relief groups, including medical organization Doctors Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council, has filed an emergency petition with Israel’s Supreme Court. The organizations were given a 60-day ultimatum in late December to cease their work in Gaza and the occupied West Bank unless they comply with new registration requirements, including disclosing employee information.
The humanitarian groups contend that revealing staff details would endanger their workers’ lives. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has already resulted in hundreds of casualties among aid personnel.
Israeli officials have previously stated that the registration process aims to prevent Palestinian militant groups from intercepting humanitarian supplies. However, aid organizations maintain that significant diversion of assistance has not occurred.
Israeli government representatives had not provided a response to requests for comment by press time.
On Sunday, seventeen relief organizations along with the Association of International Development Agencies submitted their joint legal challenge to Israel’s High Court of Justice. The groups warn that suspending their operations would create catastrophic humanitarian impacts, according to their official statement.
Israeli lawyer Yotam Ben-Hillel, who submitted the court filing, explained to media via video conference that the petition seeks elimination of the staff identification requirement and requests permission for deregistered organizations to continue their work while the case proceeds.
Several of the 37 affected organizations provide specialized emergency services, including mobile medical facilities, according to aid coordinators.
A United Nations coordination agency has cautioned that remaining authorized groups would only be able to address a small portion of the massive humanitarian needs in Gaza, where displaced populations and food shortages continue to be widespread problems.
Anne-Claire Yaeesh from the humanitarian group Humanity and Inclusion reported that their international personnel, who were training residents about unexploded bomb dangers, had to evacuate Gaza last week. She noted that replacement staff cannot be deployed because of their organization’s deregistered status.
