Overview
- Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said licenses for 37 international NGOs were suspended effective Jan. 1, with orders to end operations by March 1 unless they submit required documentation.
- A ministry spokesperson told AFP the groups cannot bring assistance into Gaza now, though licenses can be reinstated if they comply before the March deadline.
- Authorities said NGOs failed to provide complete, verifiable staff lists and other details intended to prevent militant infiltration, while groups including MSF and NRC argue the disclosures could violate humanitarian law and endanger staff.
- Prominent organizations on the list include Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision, and Oxfam; UN officials, 18 Israeli NGOs, and several foreign ministers criticized the move, with UNRWA’s chief calling it a dangerous precedent.
- The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate as winter sets in, with UNICEF reporting at least six child deaths from weather‑related causes and AP documenting a tent fire that killed a grandmother and her 5‑year‑old grandson, alongside ongoing reports of ceasefire violations and a child killed in Jabalia.