Following the Israeli government's announcement on Tuesday to suspend the operations of leading international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies and over 200 international and local NGOs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) called on the authorities to reconsider this decision. The aid agencies stressed that international NGOs play a critical role in delivering life-saving assistance and that suspending them would severely undermine the humanitarian response.
Humanitarian leaders warn of devastating consequences
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the world's humanitarian leaders also called on the Israeli authorities to reconsider their plan to ban many of the international NGOs operating in the OPT.
“International NGOs are central to humanitarian operations in OPT, collectively delivering close to $1 billion dollars in assistance each year,” the statement said.
“In Gaza in particular, as winter compounds to families’ suffering, as high acute food insecurity persists and as the need for life-saving aid is as critical as ever, banning NGOs risks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire,” the statement continued, adding that the consequences for vulnerable children, women, and men will be "devastating."
Wednesday's statement was issued by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the UN system's highest humanitarian coordination forum, which brings together the heads of leading UN and non-UN humanitarian agencies.
The statement was signed by UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher; the Chair of the IASC; the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; the heads of the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as Oxfam, Mercy Corps, Caritas Internationalis, and several other representatives from the humanitarian community
“Humanitarian access is not optional, conditional or political. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law and fundamental for the protection of human rights,” the humanitarian leaders said.
Threatened by the suspension are some of the world’s best-known international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), including Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders, MSF), International Rescue Committee (IRC), CARE International, Action Against Hunger, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), ActionAid, Save the Children, World Vision International, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), and Caritas Internationalis.
INGOs provide significant share of life-saving services
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted on Wednesday that INGOs provide a significant proportion of life-saving services, technical expertise, and humanitarian supplies in the OPT. In Gaza, they constitute the majority of NGOs working on health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene services. They operate the majority of sites providing cooked meals and hold the majority of shelter and other supplies currently in the pipeline.
Two weeks ago, the UN and its humanitarian partners warned that the registration system introduced by the Israeli authorities for international NGOs earlier in 2025 would put dozens of organizations at risk of deregistration in 2026. They cautioned that the loss of NGO capacity would severely disrupt life-saving services, including healthcare, nutritional treatment, water and sanitation, and emergency shelter, at a time when needs are acute and there are no viable alternatives.
According to OCHA, many international NGOs have already been banned from bringing supplies into Gaza in 2025, and visas for these organizations have largely been withheld.
In a statement issued Wednesday, UN Human Rights Chief Volker TĂĽrk called the suspension of aid agencies from Gaza "outrageous." He reminded the Israeli authorities of their obligation under international law to ensure essential supplies of daily life in Gaza, including by allowing and facilitating humanitarian relief.
“This is the latest in a pattern of unlawful restrictions on humanitarian access, including Israel’s ban on UNRWA [the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East], as well as attacks on Israeli and Palestinian NGOs amid broader access issues faced by the UN and other humanitarians,” Türk said.
He urged all states, particularly those with influence, to take urgent steps and to insist that Israel allows aid into Gaza unhindered.
“Such arbitrary suspensions make an already intolerable situation even worse for the people of Gaza,” the UN Human Rights Chief said.
UN Secretary-General condemns Israeli actions targeting UNRWA operations
Meanwhile, UNRWA continues to face further restrictions. On Monday, the Israeli parliament (Knesset) passed new legislation cutting off water, electricity, fuel, and communications to UNRWA facilities, as well as authorizing the expropriation of UN properties.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the legislation was “a direct affront to the mandate granted to the Agency by the UN General Assembly and contrary to findings of the International Court of Justice [ICJ], which oblige Israel to fulfil its responsibilities as a UN Member State to UNRWA and the broader UN system.”
Lazzarini warned that these measures would undermine the UN's independence and privileges, set a dangerous precedent globally, and compromise humanitarian and human rights work worldwide.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres condemned the Knesset move through a statement released by his spokesperson.
“These amendments seek to further impede UNRWA’s ability to operate and carry out its mandated activities. The Law and its amendments are inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to UNRWA and must be immediately repealed,” the statement said.
“UNRWA is an integral part of the United Nations. The Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations remains applicable to UNRWA, its property and assets, and to its officials and other personnel. Property used by UNRWA is inviolable.”
Guterres reiterated his strong support for UNRWA, which “plays an indispensable role in serving the Palestinian people – in Gaza and elsewhere in the region.”
Gaza's situation remains dire
On the ground in Gaza, OCHA reports that humanitarian organizations are continuing to help those affected by the latest rainstorms. In December, the UN and partner organizations provided tents, tarpaulins, and bedding to over 80,000 households — more than 448,000 people.
However, the UN humanitarian office says this is not nearly enough, as many families are still struggling in weather-damaged makeshift tents or war-damaged buildings at risk of collapse. An easing of restrictions on bringing in shelter materials and other critical items is urgently needed.
At the same time, obstructions to the movement of aid workers in parts of Gaza persist. Of the six movements that aid agencies attempted to coordinate with Israeli authorities on Tuesday, two were denied and four faced impediments. Nevertheless, humanitarian organizations managed to collect food and other supplies from the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
Also on Wednesday, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) called for the large-scale entry of water treatment chemicals, spare parts, and other essential supplies needed to repair, maintain, and operate water and wastewater systems across Gaza. UNICEF also urged an increased and sustained supply of fuel to avert flooding, sewage exposure, and serious public health risks, including disease outbreaks linked to disrupted solid waste collection.
Heavy rainfall, strong winds, and freezing temperatures this week have affected around 100,000 families living in makeshift shelters with little or no protection. With further rain and colder conditions forecast, the situation is expected to worsen. Teams visiting displacement camps have reported appalling conditions that no child should endure. Many tents have been blown away or have collapsed entirely.
As the humanitarian catastrophe continues, so does the disregard for international law
For more than 26 months, the Gaza Strip has been ravaged by an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with people dying from widespread violence, disease, hunger, and a lack of basic resources.
Humanitarian and human rights organizations underline that Israel is deliberately failing to provide the relief required by international law and continues to prevent necessary supplies from reaching Gaza's civilian population at scale.
The ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, enabled many humanitarian organizations to resume operations in areas that were previously inaccessible and to increase the delivery of aid and services.
However, Israeli forces have repeatedly violated the ceasefire by launching heavy air bombardments on the territory, killing over 400 civilians and injuring more than 1,100 others since October 10.
The ceasefire deal was reached while more than two million civilians in Gaza were experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe, with famine ravaging parts of the territory. The situation had further deteriorated due to the obstruction of essential supplies.
Since October 2023, over 240,000 Palestinians, primarily civilians, have been killed, injured, or maimed in Israeli military operations. The recorded death toll exceeds 71,200, which includes over 20,000 children. The overall number of injuries surpasses 171,000. However, the actual number of casualties is believed to be much higher.
According to UN commissions, international and Israeli human rights organizations, human rights experts, and leading genocide scholars, Israel's actions in Gaza — including the obstruction of humanitarian aid — not only meet the legal definitions of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but also amount to genocide against Gaza's population.