Israel’s High Court has temporarily halted a government move that threatened to bar dozens of international aid organisations from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.
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The injunction came just before a deadline requiring 37 organisations to comply with new registration rules or cease operations. Aid groups had warned that a shutdown would remove a vital lifeline for vulnerable communities in Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Four months into a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, much of the territory’s population of more than two million depends on humanitarian assistance for food, water and medical care. In the West Bank, aid agencies support Palestinians displaced amid settlement expansion and settler violence.
In December, Israeli authorities told organisations including Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, Save the Children, ActionAid and the Norwegian Refugee Council that their registrations had expired. They were given 60 days to comply with new transparency requirements or stop work by 1 March.
Seventeen NGOs petitioned the High Court to suspend the measures, arguing that Israel, as an occupying power, has obligations under international humanitarian law. Judge Dafna Barak-Erez said there was “a real legal dispute” requiring further examination.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has taken a firm stance toward international and Palestinian NGOs, citing security concerns. Israel has accused some groups of links to armed organisations, allegations the charities deny.
The government has also passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israel, affecting its work in Gaza and the West Bank.
Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism says NGOs must now provide full details of staff, funding sources and operations to prevent links to armed groups following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks. Aid groups argue that sharing staff identities would endanger workers and breach European data protection laws.
Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council described the dispute as political, saying organisations already screen staff against international sanctions lists.
Israel says 27 NGOs have been approved under the new rules and 11 rejected, representing about 1% of aid entering Gaza. Officials maintain that assistance continues through compliant channels.
Humanitarian groups have welcomed the court’s injunction but say uncertainty remains over how they will operate while the legal challenge continues. A final ruling date has not been set.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 27 Feb 2026