Zein Khalil and Rania Abushamala
04 January 2026•Update: 04 January 2026
JERUSALEM/ ISTANBUL
Israel on Sunday began revoking the operating licenses of 37 international organizations delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, saying they failed to meet requirements under new registration rules, according to the Israeli broadcasting authority KAN.
On Tuesday, the Israeli government began sending official notices to dozens of international organizations informing them that their licenses would be canceled starting from January 2026, and requiring them to end their activities by March of the same year.
“Following the entry into force of the registration mechanism for international organizations in Gaza, the process of barring 37 international organizations from operating has begun,” said the broadcaster.
Israel claims that “these organizations collectively transferred less than 1% of total humanitarian aid throughout the war, and that the scope of aid will not be affected by this decision,” the broadcaster reported.
The broadcaster claimed that security investigations revealed the involvement of employees from Doctors Without Borders in “terrorist activities,” alleging that in two main cases, the organization withheld full information about the identities and roles of its staff.
However, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz, Israel’s decision in November to revoke the licenses of international relief organizations is rooted in purely political reasons.
Israel previously took similar steps against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). In 2024, the Knesset passed legislation banning the UN agency’s activities in Israel, citing allegations that some UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, events, claims the agency has denied. The UN has said UNRWA adheres to strict neutrality standards.
Israeli authorities later escalated measures against the agency, passing a law to cut water and electricity supplies to UNRWA facilities.
