Israel to ban several aid agencies from Gaza starting 2026
What's the story
Israel has announced a ban on more than two dozen humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza starting January 1, 2026. The decision, announced by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, follows the failure of these organizations to comply with new requirements for sharing the personal information of their staff, according to The Guardian. Among those affected are globally recognized organizations such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Crisis deepens
Aid ban exacerbates humanitarian crisis in Gaza
The ban comes amid fierce storms that have recently destroyed thousands of tents in Gaza. Foreign ministers from 10 countries have expressed "serious concerns" over the "renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation" in the territory. "As winter draws in, civilians in Gaza are facing appalling conditions with heavy rainfall and temperatures dropping," the ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland said in a joint statement.
Registration issues
Aid agencies face new registration requirements
Israeli officials have said that they had warned aid organizations about the new registration requirements well in advance. They claimed around 15% of NGOs working in Gaza didn't renew their permits. The Israeli ministry alleged that MSF employed individuals linked to Palestinian militant groups, including an alleged sniper with Hamas and a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. MSF has denied the claim.
Service suspension
New law cuts services to UN agency
A new Israeli law has also cut off essential services to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), further complicating humanitarian efforts. The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli agency responsible for the administration of Gaza and the occupied West Bank (COGAT), said these organizations hadn't supplied aid since October's ceasefire and contributed only 1% of total aid previously. Despite this, COGAT claimed that suspending these organizations wouldn't affect future humanitarian aid volumes entering Gaza.
Local dependence
Oxfam expresses concerns over reliance on local supplies
Oxfam's policy lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Bushra Khalidi, told Reuters that Palestinian staff and partners would continue to support communities. However, she expressed concern that forced reliance on local supplies, since they will not be permitted to bring in goods from outside, is part of a broader dismantling of the humanitarian aid system. The Israeli ministry said around 100 registration requests were submitted by late November, with only 14 being rejected so far.