DayofPal—Seventeen international humanitarian organizations have filed a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court seeking to suspend a government decision that would effectively halt their operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied East Jerusalem.
The organizations say they were notified in late December that their registrations had expired and were instructed to reapply within 60 days by submitting detailed lists of their Palestinian staff.
Those who fail to comply face being forced to cease operations from 1 March. Among the groups affected are Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International.
In their petition, the aid agencies argue that the measures violate international humanitarian law and risk exposing local staff to reprisals, while undermining the neutrality of humanitarian work.
They have requested an urgent injunction to freeze implementation of the decision pending judicial review.
“Turning humanitarian organisations into an intelligence-gathering arm for one of the parties to the conflict is completely contrary to the principle of neutrality,” the petition stated.
The organizations said they had proposed alternative mechanisms, including independent vetting procedures and donor-supervised verification systems, instead of submitting staff lists.
The organizations warn that the move could have severe humanitarian consequences, noting that they collectively provide more than half of Gaza’s food assistance, operate a majority of field hospitals, and deliver critical care to children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
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