EU says Israel suspending Gaza charities would block ‘life-saving aid’

The EU warns that Israel’s revocation of the licenses of 37 international nonprofits operating in Gaza and the West Bank will block “life-saving” assistance from reaching Gaza’s population.

“The EU has been clear: the NGO registration law cannot be implemented in its current form,” EU humanitarian chief Hadja Lahbib posts on X, after Israel said the groups would be barred for not complying with stringent new requirements to register with the government.

“IHL (international humanitarian law) leaves no room for doubt: aid must reach those in need,” Lahbib wrote.

Organizations had until December 31 to register under the new framework, which Israel says aims to prevent “hostile actors or supporters of terrorism” operating in the Palestinian territories, rather than to impede aid.

The Diaspora Ministry announced yesterday that organizations that “refused to submit a list of their Palestinian employees in order to rule out any links to terrorism” had received notice that their licenses would be revoked as of January 1, with an obligation to cease all activities by March 1.

The list includes multiple branches of Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, the Danish and Norwegian Refugee Councils, Caritas Internationalis, an umbrella for Catholic charities, the Quaker-founded American Friends Service Committee and the International Rescue Committee.

Several groups said the new rules will have a major impact on aid distribution in Gaza, with humanitarian organizations saying the amount of aid entering Gaza remains inadequate amid crises caused by winter rains

The Defense Ministry said the expiration of the licenses will not affect aid provision in Gaza.