OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) said Sunday it was terminating the humanitarian operations of “Doctors Without Borders,” known by its French initials MSF, in the Gaza Strip.
This move threatens to deprive hundreds of thousands of Palestinians of essential medical services amid the near‑total collapse of the health system in Gaza.
The Israeli decision to expel Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) from Gaza followed the organization’s refusal to hand over personal details of its staff working in the Strip and across the occupied Palestinian territories, citing concerns over staff safety and the absence of credible assurances from Israel regarding the use of such information.
Israel has a documented record of targeting humanitarian convoys and staff in Gaza, affecting both foreign nationals and Palestinians. Israeli attacks have killed hundreds of aid and medical workers, making Gaza one of the deadliest places for humanitarian staff in recent history.
In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli ministry of diaspora affairs said it was moving to terminate the activities of MSF in the Gaza Strip.
The decision follows “MSF’s failure to submit lists of local employees, a requirement applicable to all humanitarian organizations operating in the region”, the Israeli ministry added, affirming that the medical group will cease its work and leave Gaza by February 28.
Last December, the ministry announced it would prevent 37 aid organizations, including MSF, from operating in Gaza from March 1 for failing to provide detailed information about their Palestinian staff.
The ministry said MSF had promised in early January that it would share its staff lists as required by the Israeli authorities, but the organization refrained later from transferring the lists.
“In accordance with the regulations, MSF will cease its operations and depart the Gaza Strip by February 28, 2026,” the ministry added.
In a statement posted on its website on Friday, MSF acknowledged that it had, as an “exceptional measure,” agreed to share a list of names of its Palestinian and international staff with the Israeli authorities.
“However, despite repeated efforts, it became evident that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required,” the medical charity said. “These included that any staff information would be used only for its stated administrative purpose and would not put colleagues at risk.”
MSF said it had not received assurances from Israeli authorities, so “we concluded that we will not share staff information in the current circumstances.”
