Israel Enforces New NGO Registration Rules, Bars 37 Groups From Gaza and West Bank

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israel said Tuesday it has begun enforcing new registration regulations for international nongovernmental organizations, moving to bar 37 groups from operating in Gaza and the West Bank after they failed to comply with requirements introduced earlier this year.

According to the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, the organizations’ licenses will expire on January 1 under a government resolution passed on March 1. Israel-based NGOs affected by the decision will be required to cease operations and leave the country by March 1, though appeals remain possible.

The new rules require NGOs to submit detailed documentation on their operations, including information on foreign and Palestinian employees, funding sources, and organizational structures. Applications are reviewed by an interministerial team, which may deny registration if an organization denies Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state, promotes boycotts or delegitimization campaigns, denies the October 7 Hamas attack, or supports international legal action against Israeli officials or soldiers.

The ministry said the measures follow security assessments indicating that some NGO employees had been involved in terrorist activity, citing two cases linked to workers previously employed by Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). MSF has denied the allegations, saying it would never knowingly employ individuals involved in military activity.

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, COGAT, said the decision would not affect humanitarian aid deliveries, noting that the 37 organizations have not provided aid to Gaza since the ceasefire began on October 10 and that their combined contribution before the ceasefire amounted to roughly 1% of total aid volume. COGAT said more than 20 approved organizations continue to deliver assistance, stressing the registration process is intended to prevent Hamas from exploiting humanitarian aid.

Some international groups criticized the move, warning it could disrupt humanitarian operations. MSF said the decision could severely impact its work in Gaza, where it supports a significant portion of hospital beds and births.

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli defended the policy, saying, “Humanitarian assistance is welcome – the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorist purposes is unacceptable. Israel will continue to protect its sovereignty, its citizens, and the integrity of humanitarian action.”

Israel has taken similar steps in the past against international aid bodies, including UNRWA, which it has accused of terrorist infiltration—claims denied by the United Nations.

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