The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said that the organizations facing bans on Jan. 1 didn't meet new requirements for sharing staff, funding and operations information. It accused Doctors Without Borders, one of the largest health organizations operating in Gaza, of failing to clarify the roles of some staff that Israel accused of cooperation with Hamas and other terrorist groups.
Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel previously accused its staff of involvement in military activities in Gaza in 2024. At the time, the group said that it would never knowingly employ people engaged in military activity.
Other major organizations whose permits weren't renewed include the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, and divisions of major charities such as Oxfam and Caritas, according to a list from the ministry.
The decision means the aid groups will have their license revoked on Jan. 1, and if they are located in Israel, they will need to leave by March 1, according to the ministry.
“The message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome — the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not,” said Amichai Chikli, the minister of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism.
The Israeli defense body that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, said that the organizations on the list contribute less than 1% of the total aid going into the Gaza Strip, and that help will continue to enter from more than 20 organizations that did receive permits to continue operating in Gaza.
“The registration process is intended to prevent the exploitation of aid by Hamas, which in the past operated under the cover of certain international aid organizations, knowingly or unknowingly,” COGAT said in a statement.
