In an unprecedented legal challenge, seventeen major international humanitarian organizations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an impending government order that would force 37 NGOs to cease operations across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The controversial measure, set to take effect March 1, 2026, would revoke the registration status of organizations including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE unless they provide comprehensive lists of their Palestinian staff members to Israeli authorities.
The joint petition, described as unprecedented in scale and coordination, seeks an urgent interim injunction to suspend the closures pending full judicial review. The humanitarian groups argue that compliance would expose local employees to potential retaliation, undermine fundamental principles of humanitarian neutrality, and violate European data protection regulations. They maintain that turning aid organizations into information-gathering entities for conflict parties directly contradicts international humanitarian law standards.
According to UN statistics, 133 NGO workers have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, including 15 MSF employees. The petitioners emphasize their critical role in the region, noting they collectively support over half of all food assistance in Gaza, 60% of field hospital operations, and all inpatient treatment for children suffering severe acute malnutrition.
Practical enforcement has already commenced, with reports of medical supplies being blocked and visas denied to foreign staff. MSF’s head of mission in the Palestinian territories confirmed that international staff haven’t been able to enter Gaza since January, though operations continue for now.
The legal action emerges amid Israel’s hardening stance toward humanitarian actors, following the 2025 ban on UNRWA operations within Israel and coordination restrictions in the West Bank. The current regulatory changes stem from March 2025 legislation updating registration frameworks for foreign organizations working with Palestinians, including provisions for application denial and registration revocation.
The NGOs have proposed alternative compliance mechanisms including independent sanctions screening and donor-audited vetting systems, arguing that as an occupying power, Israel must facilitate civilian relief under Geneva Convention obligations rather than obstruct humanitarian operations.