NEW TORK, February 25, 2026 (WAFA) - More than a dozen international humanitarian organizations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an imminent order that would force 37 NGOs to cease operations in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, warning of catastrophic consequences for Palestinians.

The petitioners say enforcement has already begun in practice, 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. Israeli authorities denied any entry to Gaza, but also to the West Bank,” Doctors Without Borders head of mission in the Palestinian territories Filipe Ribeiro told AFP last week.

The NGOs argued in their petition that Israel, as an occupying power in the West Bank and parts of Gaza, “must facilitate relief for civilians under its control” under the Geneva Convention.

Organizations including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE were notified on Dec. 30, 2025, that their Israeli registrations had expired and that they had 60 days to renew them by providing lists of their Palestinian staff.

If they fail to do so, they will have to cease operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, from March 1.

The NGOs say compliance would expose local employees to potential retaliation, undermine the principle of humanitarian neutrality and violate European data protection law, said the NGOs.

The organizations say that they collectively support or implement more than half of all food assistance in Gaza, 60% of field hospital operations and all inpatient treatment for children suffering severe acute malnutrition.

T.R.