NGOs Petition Israel Over Gaza Closures

More than a dozen international humanitarian organisations have petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to block an impending order that would force 37 NGOs to halt operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem, warning of dire consequences for civilians.

Groups including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE were informed on December 30, 2025, that their Israeli registrations had expired. They were given 60 days to renew by providing lists of their Palestinian staff. Failure to comply would require them to stop operations from March 1.

The joint petition, described as unprecedented in scale, seeks an urgent injunction to suspend the closures until a full judicial review can take place. The 17 petitioners argue that Israel’s measures violate international humanitarian law and could endanger local employees, compromise humanitarian neutrality, and breach European data protection regulations.

"Turning humanitarian organisations into an information-gathering arm for a party to the conflict stands in total contradiction to the principle of neutrality," the petition states.

Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, the UN reports that 133 NGO workers have been killed in Gaza, including 15 MSF employees. Petitioners have suggested alternatives, such as independent sanctions screening and donor-audited vetting systems, instead of handing over staff lists to Israeli authorities.