JERUSALEM, January 2, 2026 (WAFA) – Over fifty international humanitarian organizations working in the occupied Palestinian territories have warned that recent Israeli registration procedures could severely disrupt their operations, jeopardizing aid to civilians in urgent need, despite the ceasefire in Gaza.
In a statement issued on Friday, 37 international NGOs announced they had received official notices indicating that their registrations would expire by 31 December 2025. These measures are set to take effect after a 60-day period, requiring the organizations to cease their operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
The NGOs stressed that these organizations play a crucial role in humanitarian responses, working alongside the United Nations and Palestinian civil society groups to deliver life-saving aid at scale. They noted that the United Nations, humanitarian taskforces, and donor governments have repeatedly recognized that these NGOs are indispensable to humanitarian and developmental efforts, urging Israel to reverse its decision.
Despite the ceasefire, the humanitarian needs in Gaza remain dire, with one in four families relying on just one meal a day. Additionally, winter storms have displaced tens of thousands, leaving 1.3 million people urgently in need of shelter.
International NGOs provide over half of Gaza’s food assistance, manage or support 60% of field hospitals, and implement nearly three-quarters of shelter and non-food aid activities. They also supply all treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The organizations warned that the cessation of their operations would result in the closure of health facilities, a halt in food distribution, the collapse of shelter supply chains, and the interruption of life-saving care.
In the West Bank, the NGOs pointed to the ongoing Israeli raids and settler violence, which continue to force people to flee their homes. Additional restrictions on NGO activities would severely reduce the scope and continuity of life-saving assistance in this critical moment.
The NGOs also criticized recent efforts to evaluate the impact of ending NGO registrations through selective metrics, arguing that true humanitarian access should be measured by whether civilians are receiving appropriate aid in the right place and at the right time.
These organizations operate under strict compliance frameworks set by donors and adhere to international standards, including safeguarding sensitive data. They noted that over 500 humanitarian workers have been killed since 7 October 2023.
The NGOs emphasized that the decision to cancel or suspend registrations is not merely a technical or administrative issue, but a deliberate political choice with predictable consequences. If implemented, these measures will severely hinder large-scale humanitarian aid, undermining international law, which guarantees humanitarian access as an obligation, not an option.
The organizations urged the Israeli government to immediately halt the registration cancellations and other measures that impede humanitarian assistance. They also called on donor governments to use all available pressure to reverse these actions, ensuring that independent and principled humanitarian operations continue to provide essential aid to civilians in need.
In Gaza, international NGOs support or manage around 60% of field hospitals, and the cancellation of their registration would lead to the immediate closure of about a third of these facilities. Regarding food security, the NGOs provided over half of the food assistance in 2024, including the majority of cooked meal distribution points.
The organizations concluded that NGOs must adhere to strict humanitarian principles, including not sharing sensitive data about local staff or their families, in line with global data protection standards. They noted that such data sharing with Israeli authorities would violate these principles.
The statement was signed by numerous NGOs, including Oxfam, Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, Amnesty International, and many others committed to humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank.
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