Humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank face a significant threat of disruption due to new registration requirements imposed by Israel on international non-governmental organizations (INGOs). Aid agencies warn that these stringent rules, introduced in March, could lead to the suspension of critical life-saving services for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable individuals if a substantial number of organizations fail to comply by the looming December 31st deadline.
The crux of the issue lies in a newly implemented registration framework for INGOs operating within Israel and the Palestinian territories. Organizations that do not successfully navigate this process risk being shut down within 60 days of the deadline. This has sparked widespread concern within the humanitarian community, prompting a joint statement last Wednesday from the Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory – a forum comprising UN agencies and over 200 local and international organizations. They articulated grave reservations about the system, stating, "The system relies on vague, arbitrary, and highly politicized criteria and imposes requirements that humanitarian organizations cannot meet without violating international legal obligations or compromising core humanitarian principles."
To date, approximately 100 INGOs have submitted applications for registration. However, the review process has been slow and fraught with uncertainty. Fourteen applications have already been rejected, while only 21 have received approval, leaving the majority of submissions still under assessment. This limited progress, coupled with the rejection of several applications, has fueled fears that a significant portion of the aid infrastructure could be dismantled. The Humanitarian Country Team underscored this point, noting, "While some INGOs have been registered under the new system, these INGOs represent only a fraction of the response in Gaza and are nowhere near the number required just to meet immediate and basic needs."
The ramifications of such a collapse in humanitarian aid delivery would be catastrophic. INGOs currently underpin a substantial proportion of the essential services in Gaza, including the operation and support of most field hospitals and primary healthcare centres. They are instrumental in providing emergency shelter, vital water and sanitation infrastructure, critical nutrition support for malnourished children, and mine action initiatives. The potential withdrawal of these organizations would plunge an already dire humanitarian situation into further crisis, exacerbating suffering and jeopardizing countless lives.
Conversely, Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism has asserted that the departure of any perceived "rogue organizations" would not impede overall aid delivery. This assertion stands in stark contrast to the assessments of the aid agencies on the ground, who foresee a severe curtailment of essential services. The criteria for registration, as described by the Humanitarian Country Team, appear to be a significant hurdle, with organisations reporting that they cannot be met without contravening international legal obligations or fundamental humanitarian principles. The coming months will be critical in determining the fate of these indispensable operations and the well-being of the populations they serve.