The New Registration Requirements and Concerns Over Sovereignty

Approved in December 2024 as Government Resolution No. 2542, the new regulations require all international organizations providing aid to “Palestinian residents” to register with the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. The deadline for registration was December 31, 2025, with a cessation of operations slated for March 1, 2026, for those who fail to comply. The law grants the Israeli government sweeping powers to deny or revoke registration based on vague “public safety” or “state security” concerns.

Crucially, these requirements do not apply to organizations serving “Israeli citizens or residents, including residents of East Jerusalem,” raising concerns about discriminatory practices. Humanitarian organizations argue that providing detailed staff information to a party involved in the conflict violates core humanitarian principles of neutrality and independence, potentially endangering aid workers and compromising the impartiality of their work.

Oxfam, in a statement to Al Jazeera in January, explicitly stated their refusal to share sensitive personal data, citing breaches of humanitarian principles, duty of care, and data protection obligations. A May 2025 joint press release from 55 organizations operating in the region echoed these concerns, asserting that the rules condition registration on “political and ideological alignment,” undermining the fundamental principles of humanitarian action.

Devastating Impact on Essential Services

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns of catastrophic consequences if the 37 organizations are forced to halt operations in Gaza. OCHA estimates that one in three health facilities would immediately close, leaving 20,000 patients without access to crucial specialized care. The situation is further compounded by the potential for worsening waterborne diseases, deteriorating sanitation, and a severe lack of capacity to detect and treat malnutrition.

Organizations like Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children, and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) – all among those facing expulsion – play a critical role in providing lifesaving goods and services to millions of Palestinians. According to OCHA, these international organizations operate or support 60% of field hospitals and all stabilization centers for severely malnourished children in Gaza, and deliver 42% of all water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

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Restrictions on Aid and Allegations of War Crimes

Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October, Israel continues to restrict the entry of aid into Gaza, leading to critical shortages of medicines, reconstruction materials, food, and water. These deliberate restrictions, critics argue, violate Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law as an occupying power and may constitute a war crime if they amount to using starvation as a weapon of war.

In November, the UN reported that Israeli authorities had rejected 107 requests for relief material entry, citing concerns over the materials being outside the scope of humanitarian aid or classified as “dual-use” items. However, The Guardian reported in January 2026 that Israel has simultaneously allowed commercial shippers to import similar “dual-use” items for sale on the market, raising questions about the rationale behind the restrictions.

As of late October 2025, nearly $50 million worth of essential goods from operational INGOs – including food, medical supplies, and shelter materials – remained stockpiled at border crossings and warehouses, unable to reach those in need.

Targeting of Humanitarian Workers and Infrastructure

The current situation unfolds against a backdrop of escalating violence against aid workers and critical infrastructure in Gaza. Over the past two years, aid workers have operated under the constant threat of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, forced displacement, and allegations of genocide. As of September, 543 aid workers have been confirmed killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Human Rights Watch found in May 2024 that Israeli forces had attacked eight known aid-worker locations, despite organizations providing their exact coordinates. Targeting humanitarian workers is a clear violation of international law and constitutes a war crime. Since October 2023, at least 255 journalists, 1,700 medical workers, and 967 educational staff have also been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza.

The ban on these 37 groups follows Israel’s earlier decision to suspend funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), severely limiting its ability to provide humanitarian assistance. The International Court of Justice, in an advisory opinion issued in October 2025, found Israel’s allegations of UNRWA’s lack of impartiality to be unfounded and its obstruction of the agency’s work to be a violation of international law.

What responsibility do international actors have to intervene and protect humanitarian access in conflict zones? And how can the international community ensure accountability for attacks on aid workers and civilian infrastructure?

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