Israel's decision to suspend aid groups will have devastating impact on Gaza services, NGO says

Israel has suspended the licenses of over two dozen aid organizations operating in Gaza, impacting the services provided by these groups. This suspension affects the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and other organizations involved in humanitarian efforts.

The NRC has announced the closure of its East Jerusalem office and will not be able to deploy international staff to Gaza. This move is expected to increase the workload on existing Palestinian staff. Some humanitarian bodies operating health clinics and education centers in East Jerusalem may also face closures.

The suspension is likely to hinder the ability of aid organizations to meet the growing needs in Gaza, where essential services such as food, shelter, medicine, clothing, and clean water are in high demand.

According to Israeli authorities, the suspension results from non-compliance with newly introduced registration rules. These rules are intended to prevent infiltration by militant groups like Hamas into aid organizations. The new regulations require aid groups to register their workers' names and disclose funding and operational details.

The regulations also impose ideological requirements, disqualifying organizations that have supported boycotts against Israel or expressed support for international court cases against Israeli personnel. Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs reported that more than 30 groups, constituting about 15% of the organizations operating in Gaza, did not comply with these requirements, leading to a suspension of their operations.

Among the organizations affected is Doctors Without Borders, which has not responded to allegations regarding affiliations of its workers with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

Based on reporting by Africanews.