- Norwegian People’s Aid official warns Israel has signaled plans to expand its footprint and occupation across Palestinian Territories
AMSTERDAM / ISTANBUL
Israel’s decision to revoke the licenses of dozens of international humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza has sparked criticism from aid groups and experts, who warn the move is political in nature and could further restrict life-saving assistance for Palestinians already facing severe shortages of food, shelter, and medical care.
Israel said that as of Jan. 1 it would terminate the activities of 37 international aid organizations working in Gaza, citing their refusal to submit staff lists and comply with new security registration procedures. The groups have been told to leave by March 1.
Under the new regulation, the operations of major humanitarian organizations — including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Caritas, CARE, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) — are expected to be suspended.
A law adopted by Israel in March 2025 requires aid organizations to renew their licenses and submit identity information for all Palestinian staff members for security screening.
International aid groups say the requirements raise serious concerns over data protection and the potential misuse of personal information. Organizations whose licenses are revoked risk being forced to close offices in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem — all part of occupied Palestinian territory.
Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s policy lead for the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza, and Kelly Flynn, Norwegian People's Aid's country director in Palestine, spoke to Anadolu about what they describe as Israeli efforts to obstruct humanitarian operations.
A Political decision
Khalidi described Israel’s move as “political.”
“This is part of Israel's long-standing campaign against civil society. Israel has been after Palestinian civil society, UNRWA, for years and now they have turned to international humanitarian organizations who have global expertise and credibility and are world-renowned,” she said.
She said the new regulations rely on vague justifications and demand sensitive personal information about aid workers and their families.
“From our perspective, we see this as a policy to exert even more control on Palestinian civic and humanitarian operating space.”
“Humanitarian organizations in Palestine, they operate under the most, the strictest rules and vetting and compliance systems in the world. Gaza is the most vetted and the West Bank and Palestine is the most heavily vetted humanitarian environments globally with layers of donor, of UN, of counter-terror controls that are already in place,” Khalidi said.
“There's never been any evidence that aid diversion or infiltration of armed groups into humanitarian organizations is happening at scale. To date, we have yet to see evidence that this is happening systematically in an amplified way. Here, these measures are undermining humanitarian principles, and they will deprive Palestinians of food, of water, of shelter. So this is not security,” she added.
Khalidi said Israel must allow and facilitate the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid.
“Israel has never and has not abided by its obligation as the occupying power before or after 7th of October, 2023,” she said.
She described international civil society organizations as central to Gaza’s humanitarian system.
“INGOs deliver more than half of all the food assistance in Gaza. Deliver, it's an important word. It's not we enter food, we deliver food. We run and support about 60% of the field hospitals. We implement nearly three quarters of shelter and non-food items. INGOs provide all treatment in Gaza for children with severe, acute malnutrition.”
Khalidi said Israeli policies have made survival in Gaza impossible.
“Israel continues to apply policies that are ensuring that there's no survival in Gaza, and there's no possibility of survival.”
“Because if people are not dying from the bombs, now they are dying from the cold and from disease. First, today in Gaza, one in four families are surviving on one meal a day. Winter storms have displaced so far tens of thousands of Palestinians, again.”
“They're not being displaced by bombs, they're being displaced by the storms. We have 1.3 million people that are in urgent need of shelter.”
Israel is not fulfilling its legal obligations
Flynn said Israel has legal obligations as both a party to the conflict and an occupying power.
“Israel, who is a party to the conflict and an occupying force, and they have a legal obligation under both being an occupying force, but also party to a ceasefire agreement for service delivery and to allow organizations like international organizations working with the UN and Palestinian organizations to deliver on the ground,” she said.
Flynn noted that this round of restrictions applies not only to Gaza but to all occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
“I think the state of Israel and the current coalition government have not made any secrets of their intentions and their agenda, is that they've been quite open in their own media and in international media, as well as representation through the United Nations to look at expanding their footprint and their occupation across all the considered territories of Palestine,” Flynn said.
She added that EU and UN member states have voiced support for a coordinated humanitarian response.
“There's been two joint statements, one from the foreign ministries of Western governments that came out prior to New Year's. We've had a joint statement from regional and Arab nations as of late.”
“I think all of us, a part of the international community in support to Palestinians, need to have hope that we can negotiate in good, faithful partnership with the state of Israel for something that would continue to allow for operations.”
“We are going into winter. We know that this is a critical time of year for the needs and the rights of Palestinians in Gaza, so that we continue to work effectively as a coordinated INGO community with the Palestinians, with the UN, and with the state of Israel to put options on the table for better cooperation and gained access.”
