Israel to ban more than 30 aid groups operating in Gaza
Israel is reportedly planning to bar 37 aid organizations from operating in Gaza starting next week unless they provide detailed information regarding their Palestinian staff, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper wrote Wednesday.
The list includes Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, according to RT’s sources.
The reported decision may come despite mounting criticism from the United Nations and the European Union, the media outlet wrote.
The Israeli authorities will consider these applications incomplete anyways, Oxfam’s policy lead Bushra Khalidi told RT. “We have concerns about sensitive personal data, especially given the death toll of over 500 humanitarian workers,” she added.
”Israel has been waging a campaign to discredit humanitarian organizations for years […]. For families in Gaza, this will mean slower repairs, reduced supplies, and longer waits for basic services,” Khalidi added.
”We will continue to work in Gaza despite the ban because this is our humanitarian imperative. This is our mandate,” she said.
Israel’s deadline for NGOs to provide the details expires at midnight on Wednesday.
