MSF walks back plan to share Gaza staff details, saying Israel refused to provide safety assurances

Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières says it will not submit lists of staff demanded by Israel to maintain access to Gaza and the West Bank, saying it had not been able to obtain assurances over the safety of its teams.

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, which supports and helps staff hospitals in Gaza, is one of 37 international organizations that Israel ordered this month to stop work in the Palestinian territories unless they meet new rules, including providing employee details.

The aid groups say sharing such staff information could pose a safety risk, pointing to the hundreds of aid workers who were killed or injured during the two-year Gaza war.

Israel’s Diaspora Ministry, which manages the registration process, does not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel has previously said the registrations were meant to prevent diversions of aid by Palestinian armed groups. Aid agencies dispute that substantial aid has been diverted.

ארגון רופאים ללא גבולות חזר בו והודיע כי לא ישתף עם ישראל את רשימת העובדים הפלסטינים שלו. לטענתם לאחר שישראל לא סיפקה ערבויות שהמידע לא יסכן את העובדים. המשמעות היא שהארגון, שהוא אחד מהארגונים הרפואיים הגדולים שפועלים בעזה ובגדה יגורש וכל המרפאות שלו (ראו מפה) יסגרו. pic.twitter.com/01NQUVJ2sZ

— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) January 30, 2026

MSF had said last week it would be prepared to share a partial list of Palestinian and international staff who had agreed to release that information, provided the list be used only for administrative purposes and not put its team at risk. It also said it wanted to retain control over the management of medical humanitarian supplies.

Israel has accused MSF of having two employees who held membership in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas terror groups. The group has denied the allegations, saying it would “never knowingly employ anyone involved in military activities.”

“However, despite repeated efforts, it became evident in recent days that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required,” MSF says in a statement.

It says there could be a devastating impact on humanitarian services if it is banned from operating in Gaza and the West Bank, amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.