Israel announced yesterday that it will close down the activities of 37 foreign aid agencies in the Gaza Strip, claiming they had failed to meet new standardserca security and transparency standards. The new requirements include personnel data, focusing on Palestinian staff members.
“If organizations fail to comply with this decision, their licenses will be suspended. They will receive a notification that their licenses will be revoked as of January 1st, 2026. They will therefore be required to wind down their activities by March 1st,” said the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.
Gaza needs could remain acute, according to humanitarian officials.
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), which brings together humanitarian leaders of major international NGOs, called for Israel to reconsider its decision. In its call, the IASC cited that international NGOs are the backbone of humanitarian assistance efforts within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, providing nearly 1 billion dollars of assistance annually. In Gaza, winter is further deteriorating living conditions, levels of food insecurity are acute, as well as life-saving assistance. NGOs’ exit now, according to IASC, could undermine gains made during the ceasefire.
Humanitarian agencies say the regulations put their staff at risk and undermine their neutrality. Israeli officials are quoted as saying the regulations are designed to safeguard their operations against members of the militia.
According to the Associated Press, some groups have failed to provide a list of the Palestinian employees they have, fearing persecution. AP further reported that the demands also include higher transparency with regard to funding and activities.
With the deadline for compliance now over, there are fears that losing capacity will rapidly exacerbate suffering in Gaza.
