GAZA, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)
Haaretz newspaper said that Israel implemented a new measure on Tuesday that forced dozens of humanitarian organizations operating in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank to suspend their activities.
According to a report published by its website on Tuesday, many of these organizations had previously received official Israeli approval but are now being ordered to halt operations under a new stringent regulation.
This Israeli measure has left thousands of tons of food and relief supplies stranded outside Gaza.
The regulation imposes stricter entry conditions for humanitarian groups, requiring them to submit detailed information about their staff and their families, both Palestinian and foreign nationals.
The new procedure was formulated in March, following the transfer of NGO registration from the welfare ministry to the diaspora affairs ministry, headed by MK Amichai Chikli of the Likud party.
The ministry now holds broad authority to reject applications, including on grounds such as denying the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state or working to delegitimize it.
Additional reasons for rejection include support for the prosecution of Israelis in foreign or international courts over war crimes, or if any employee publicly advocated for a boycott of Israel within the past seven years.
Since September, the ministry has rejected 14 out of 100 applications, with the rest still under review.
Without official registration, humanitarian organizations are barred from bringing food or aid into Gaza, and their staff are unable to obtain entry visas for Israel, which are necessary for operations in both Israel and the West Bank. The lack of permits also hinders their ability to move in and out of Gaza or transport equipment through Israeli territory.
Among the organizations awaiting responses are major international groups such as Oxfam, Save the Children, and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Many have expressed concern over the registration process, citing privacy laws that prevent them from sharing detailed staff lists.
Haaretz also noted that Israel recently tightened restrictions on alternative aid routes after organizations attempted to use UN agencies or other approved entities to deliver aid, but Israel has blocked these efforts as well.
As a result, large quantities of supplies, including mattresses, tents, tarps, desalination equipment, sealing materials, clothing, winter gear, hygiene kits, and food, are now stuck in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority.
