GAZA CITY: Aid agencies have warned that most international NGOs providing essential relief in Gaza will be forced to shut operations within weeks if Israel does not withdraw its demand for sensitive personal details of Palestinian staff. The requirement, enforced since March 9, affects all NGOs working in Gaza and the West Bank.
The UN Humanitarian Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) said that unless urgent action is taken, “most international NGO partners could be de-registered by September 9 or sooner.” This would halt their life-saving humanitarian assistance, forcing them to withdraw all international staff.
Israel now requires organisations to submit full identification and contact details of all employees, both Palestinian and foreign. Applications for foreign workers must even include marital status and family passport details.
NGOs that fail to comply are already blocked from sending supplies. Last month, Israeli authorities rejected requests by 29 NGOs to deliver aid to Gaza, citing them as “not authorised.” This has prevented critical deliveries of food, medicine, and hygiene items, impacting women, children, the elderly, and disabled individuals.
The Humanitarian Country Team stressed that international NGOs are vital for supporting Palestinian groups with supplies, funding, and technical expertise. “Without this cooperation, operations will be severed, cutting off even more communities from food, medical care, and protection services,” they warned.
The collective urged Israel to drop these demands, calling the policy a violation of international law. “Blocking humanitarian work when people are dying from starvation in famine conditions is unconscionable,” they stated.
