AMMAN, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Despite the announcement by the Israeli occupation authorities to end to its activities, the head of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders mission in the Palestinian territories, Philip Ribeiro, said the organization will continue its work in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for as long as possible.
Ribeiro spoke in an interview with Agence France Presse from Amman, saying, “We are still working in Gaza at present, and we intend to continue our operations for as long as possible,” while at the same time pointing out that the Israeli decision poses serious challenges to the continuation of work.
At the beginning of February, the occupation authorities announced the termination of all activities of the charitable medical organization in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, after it refused to provide a list of the names of its Palestinian employees in the absence of Israeli guarantees regarding their safety.
MSF criticized the decision, which is set to take effect on 1 March, describing the move as a “pretext” to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave, which has been subjected to genocide since October 2023.
Ribeiro explained that the organization has no longer been able since the beginning of January to bring international staff into Gaza, adding that “the Israeli authorities have in fact refused any entry into Gaza, as well as into the West Bank.”
He also indicated that the entry of medical supplies into the enclave has been affected, saying, “They are not currently allowed to enter, but we have some stocks in our pharmacies that will allow us to continue our operations for the time being.”
He confirmed that the organization still has local and international teams working inside Gaza, in addition to a stockpile of medical supplies that enables it to continue temporarily.
In December, the occupation authorities announced a ban on 37 relief organizations, including MSF, from operating in Gaza, for failing to provide detailed information about their Palestinian employees, which sparked widespread condemnation from human rights and United Nations organizations.
At the time, the occupation authorities claimed that two of the organization’s employees had links to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, claims that MSF repeatedly and strongly denied, confirming that it did not provide the names of its Palestinian employees because it did not receive any Israeli guarantees regarding their safety.
Ribeiro warned of the health consequences of ending the organization’s operations in Gaza, saying that “MSF is one of the largest actors in the field of health care in Gaza and the West Bank, and if we are forced to leave, we will create a massive vacuum in Gaza.”
The organization currently provides at least 20% of hospital beds in the Gaza Strip, and runs around 20 health centers. During 2025 alone, the organization conducted more than 800,000 medical consultations, treated more than 100,000 trauma cases, and assisted in more than 10,000 childbirths.
