DayofPal—Hamas movement has warned that Israel is escalating its campaign against humanitarian work by moving to revoke the operating licenses of dozens of international aid organizations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Hamas said reports about the Israeli government’s intention to cancel the licenses of international relief agencies represent a “dangerous escalation” and a blatant disregard for the international community and the global humanitarian system.
The movement accused Israel of deliberately politicizing humanitarian aid and transforming it into an instrument of coercion and blackmail against the Palestinian people, who are already enduring a severe humanitarian catastrophe, particularly in Gaza.
Hamas called on the international community, the United Nations in particular, as well as international human rights and humanitarian organizations, to take urgent and effective action to condemn what it described as “criminal behavior.”
The movement urged pressure on the Israeli government and war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse this policy and to stop using humanitarian assistance as a weapon of starvation against Palestinians.
According to Israeli media reports, Israeli authorities have begun procedures to withdraw work permits from a number of international organizations operating in the West Bank and Gaza.
Israeli authorities claime that the aid organizations failed to complete legal registration requirements and alleging that some of their employees were involved in what Israel labels as “terrorist activities.”
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that a joint ministerial team, led by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the fight against so-called antisemitism, has started sending official notifications to more than 12 international organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières).
These organizations were informed that their licenses would be revoked as of January 1, 2026, and that they must cease their activities by March 1.
Israeli authorities reportedly granted these organizations nearly ten months to meet legal requirements, extending the original deadline from September 9 to December 31.
However, some organizations refused to submit full lists of their Palestinian staff for Israeli security screening.
The move comes amid a broader Israeli campaign targeting international humanitarian bodies.
In 2024, the Israeli Knesset passed legislation banning the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) inside Occupied Palestinian territories.
In December 2025, the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee approved a draft decision to prohibit the provision of basic services to UNRWA facilities.
Hamas described these measures as part of a systematic policy aimed at undermining humanitarian assistance and tightening the siege on Palestinians, especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.
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