Khaberni - United Nations and international organizations have demanded the Israeli occupation authorities to retract their decisions regarding humanitarian organizations in the Palestinian territories and Gaza Strip, which would result in the complete cessation of their activities.
37 humanitarian organizations face a threat of a total activity ban in the Gaza Strip starting this Thursday, unless they have submitted the names of their Palestinian employees to the Israeli authorities by midnight last night.
These organizations include key players in the sector, such as “Doctors Without Borders”, the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, “World Vision”, and Oxfam.
United Nations Condemnation
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the United Nations Office of Human Rights, stated that “Israel's suspension of access for many relief agencies to Gaza is shameful.”
In recorded statements last night, Wednesday, she added, “This is the latest episode in a series of illegal restrictions imposed on humanitarian aid access, including Israel's ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), as well as attacks on Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, amid broader challenges faced by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.”
She continued, “I urge all states, especially influential countries, to take urgent steps and insist that Israel immediately allows unimpeded aid access to Gaza. Such arbitrary suspensions exacerbate the already dire situation of the people in Gaza.”
Shamdasani reminded the Israeli authorities of their obligation under international law to ensure the access to essential supplies for daily life in Gaza, including facilitating humanitarian aid access.
International Warnings
The Joint Committee of Humanitarian Organization Leaders warned of the severe consequences of the Israeli ban on a number of agencies and international organizations.
The committee stated in a release that international organizations provide approximately one billion dollars annually in aid and form a fundamental pillar of humanitarian work.
They added that the ban on these organizations from operating, especially in Gaza, threatens to undermine the fragile progress made since the ceasefire, at a time when the suffering of the population is exacerbated by winter and continued food insecurity.
The committee warned of severe effects on the most vulnerable groups, especially children and women, and emphasized that allowing aid access is not a political choice but a legal obligation under international humanitarian law.
20 leaders of international humanitarian organizations, including the Coordinator for Relief and Humanitarian Affairs, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Director of Save the Children, the Commissioner for Refugees, the Director of UNICEF, the Director of the World Food Programme and the Director of the World Health Organization, signed the statement.
UN Condemns the Occupation's Stance on UNRWA
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations, stated that UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned yesterday, Wednesday, Israel's action to cut off electricity and water to facilities affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Dujarric added that this action would "further hinder" the agency's capability to operate and execute its activities.
Dujarric pointed out that the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations remains in force for UNRWA, its properties, assets, and its officials and other employees, saying that the properties used by UNRWA are safeguarded and that UNRWA is an "inseparable" part of the international organization.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, also condemned the move, stating it is part of a "systematic ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and thereby obstruct" the role it plays in assisting Palestinian refugees.
Israeli Conditions
The Israeli occupation authorities have placed dozens of international humanitarian NGOs before an ultimatum, to either comply with their conditions or face cancellation of their license and prohibition from operating in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip.
The Israeli government has given these organizations until the end of 2025 to renew their operating license in the Palestinian territories under new restrictions and conditions.
The Israeli conditions require the organizations to submit complete lists of their Palestinian employees for a security check, and to verify whether any of them have called for a boycott of Israel, which some international organizations have refused, fearing that this may endanger the lives of their Palestinian employees and threaten the safety of their families.
The Israeli government has begun procedures to cancel the licenses of organizations that reject the conditions, including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, and the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The occupation authorities began sending official letters to them stating the cancellation and complete termination of activities by the first of March next year.
