ISTANBUL

Israel’s Supreme Court temporarily blocked a government decision Friday that sought to bar dozens of foreign humanitarian organizations from operating in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported.

The Times of Israel said the court suspended the measure pending a final ruling, allowing affected groups to continue their activities.

The legal challenge was brought by 17 international non-governmental organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Oxfam, after Israel revoked the operating permits of 37 foreign NGOs working in Gaza and the West Bank.

The ruling, described as procedural and interim in nature, does not determine the substance of the case but effectively prevents enforcement of the ban until further notice.

In December, Israel ordered the organizations to halt operations within 60 days, a deadline set to expire March 1, unless they complied with new requirements mandating disclosure of Palestinian staff identities and detailed information about funding sources and program activities.

The NGOs have argued that providing the information could put staff at risk.

Doctors Without Borders said Friday that it remains committed to continuing its work in the Palestinian territories under its registration with the Palestinian Authority and urged a significant expansion of life-saving assistance and unhindered humanitarian access in Gaza.

Since the agreement took effect, Israel has killed 618 Palestinians and wounded 1,663 in daily violations of a ceasefire signed last October involving strikes and gunfire.

The ceasefire followed the genocidal war launched by Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, that lasted two years and killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded 171,000, most of them women and children, and destroyed about 90% of civilian infrastructure in the territory.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref