Gaza City – International organizations and United Nations agencies are urgently calling on Israeli authorities to reverse decisions that threaten to halt humanitarian operations in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
As of today, Thursday, 37 humanitarian organizations face potential bans on their activities within Gaza unless they provided the names of their Palestinian staff to Israeli authorities by midnight yesterday. The affected organizations include key players in the region, such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE, World Vision, and Oxfam.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Office for Human Rights, condemned the restrictions. “Israel’s suspension of access for multiple aid agencies into Gaza is unconscionable,” she stated, adding, “This is the latest in a series of unlawful restrictions on humanitarian access, including the banning of UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency, and attacks on Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, amid broader problems facing the UN and other humanitarian organizations.”
Shamdasani urged all nations, particularly those with influence, to take immediate action and insist that Israel allow unimpeded access for aid into Gaza. She emphasized that such arbitrary suspensions exacerbate the already dire situation for Gaza’s residents.
“I remind the Israeli authorities of their obligations under international law to ensure access to essential supplies for daily life in Gaza, including facilitating humanitarian assistance,” Shamdasani added.
The Joint Steering Committee of Humanitarian Organizations has also warned of the severe consequences of Israel’s ban on several international agencies. The Committee stated that these organizations provide approximately one billion dollars in aid annually and form a crucial pillar of humanitarian work.
The ban, the Committee emphasized, will disproportionately affect the vulnerable populations who depend on this aid for survival. The situation underscores the critical need for sustained and unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza.
