Gazans Say ‘Lives Will Be Destroyed’ by Israel’s NGO Ban
Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are sounding the alarm about the Israeli regime’s looming ban against dozens of international groups that provide life-saving assistance and services in the devastated territory.
Siraj al-Masri, a Palestinian in Khan Younis, stressed on Wednesday that there is “no alternative” to the aid organizations helping besieged Palestinians in Gaza.
“Where are we supposed to go? We have no income, no money,” al-Masri told Al Jazeera.
The Zionist regime is moving to revoke the licenses of 37 international NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials MSF), as it pushes to demonize organizations that assist Palestinians, among them United Nations agencies.
Israel said the ban, which starts on Thursday and also includes the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, and the International Rescue Committee, among other groups, stems from new regulations that require aid organizations to reveal details about their staff and work.
On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of 10 countries – including Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom – released a joint statement urging Israel to ensure that international NGOs “are able to operate in Gaza in a sustained and predictable way”.
“Any attempt to stem their ability to operate is unacceptable. Without them it will be impossible to meet all urgent needs at the scale required,” it said.
Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli regime has continued to kill Palestinians in Gaza and impose restrictions on the entry of aid and basic goods to the enclave, including temporary housing.
With most of Gaza turned to rubble, more than one million people have faced harsh winter weather while living in makeshift tents. And in the absence of economic activity amid the destruction, Gaza’s population remains heavily dependent on international aid.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) also decried Israel’s move, saying it is “further compromising the humanitarian operation” in crisis-stricken Gaza.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the Israeli decision sets a “dangerous precedent”.
In 2025, Israel approved several measures to ban UNRWA – a vital facilitator for aid and vital services in Gaza – and curtail its work.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel killed about 500 aid workers and volunteers during its two-year genocidal war, as it imposed a suffocating blockade on the enclave, triggering a deadly famine.
