Israel bars 37 humanitarian groups from Gaza and West Bank over alleged breaches of anti-terror rules

Several high-profile agencies, including multiple branches of Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, have reportedly declined to register.

As such, the ministry has confirmed that their licenses to operate, set to expire on January 1, will not be renewed.

They will then be required to cease all operations in the territories by March 1.

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli said: “The message is clear: Humanitarian assistance is welcome – the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorist purposes is unacceptable.

"Israel will continue to protect its sovereignty, its citizens and the integrity of humanitarian action.”

Doctors Without Borders responded to the decision, saying it “would never knowingly employ people engaging in military activity”, and adding: “Any employee who engages in military activity would pose a danger to our staff and our patients.”

Elsewhere, the Knesset passed a bill on Monday to cut off water and electricity supplies from facilities operated in the territories by Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Unrwa was already banned from operating within Israel, but the government-backed bill, which passed by a margin of 59-7, will likely curtail its capabilities within Gaza and the West Bank.

The new law also strips representatives on Unrwa of diplomatic immunity, following allegations from Israel – denied by the UN – that the agency has been “infested” by Hamas.

Nine members of Unrwa staff were sacked last year after a UN investigation found they had been involved in the October 7 attacks, but Unrwa bosses have insisted that it has not been systemically infiltrated by terrorists.

In a joint statement released by the Foreign Office, the foreign ministers of ten nations, including the UK, France, Canada and Japan, all condemned the restriction of aid agencies in the territories, claiming it would impact the provision of humanitarian assistance.

"As December 31 approaches, many established international NGO partners are at risk of being deregistered because of the government of Israel’s restrictive new requirements,” the statement read.

“As winter draws in, civilians in Gaza are facing appalling conditions with heavy rainfall and temperatures dropping.

"1.3 million people still require urgent shelter support. More than half of health facilities are only partially functional and face shortages of essential medical equipment and supplies. The total collapse of sanitation infrastructure has left 740,000 people vulnerable to toxic flooding.”

The Israeli Defence Ministry’s Cogat agency, which coordinates Israeli operations in the Palestinian territories, responded to the statement, insisting that adequate food and shelter are entering Gaza.

The agency also said that none of the 37 agencies whose licenses have been revoked have operated in the Strip since the latest ceasefire came into effect on October 10 and that, prior to the truce, their total operations “amounted to only about one per cent of the total aid volume”.