International aid groups petition Israeli Supreme Court over ban on Gaza and West Bank operations

Seventeen international humanitarian organisations have petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to suspend a decision that would terminate the operations of dozens of aid groups in Gaza, the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, warning the move could have “catastrophic consequences” for civilians.

The organisations said they were informed on 30 December 2025 that their registrations with Israeli authorities had expired and that they had been given 60 days to renew them by submitting detailed lists of their Palestinian staff members.

Groups affected include Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International. Under the decision, organisations that fail to comply will be required to cease all activities in the occupied Palestinian territories from 1 March.

In their petition, the organisations argued that the measures have already begun to take effect, citing restrictions on the entry of humanitarian supplies and the denial of visas for international staff.

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The aid agencies are requesting an urgent injunction to freeze implementation of the decision pending a full judicial review.

According to the petition, the measures violate the obligations of an occupying power under international humanitarian law. The organisations also warned that disclosing the identities of local employees could expose staff to potential reprisals, undermine humanitarian neutrality and breach European data protection regulations.

“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 organisations said they had proposed alternative mechanisms, including independent vetting procedures and donor-supervised verification systems, instead of submitting staff lists.

They added that the affected organisations collectively provide more than half of the food assistance in Gaza, carry out around 60 per cent of field hospital operations, and deliver all hospital care for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the territory.

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