Israel is suspending several international aid organizations from operating inside the Gaza Strip because they won’t comply with recently enacted registration rules, including fully identifying those who will be working for them inside the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli government’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories oversees logistics between Israel and Gaza. On Wednesday, COGAT said the registration requirements are needed to stop Hamas from exploiting international aid and using local nongovernmental organization workers to further their terror activity.
“This has been documented repeatedly. Transparency isn’t oppression, it’s protection,” COGAT officials said on X. “The intention is to ensure aid does not fall into the wrong hands, not to control NGO workers or organizations.”
Doctors Without Borders is one of the international aid organizations facing a Jan. 1 suspension of their registration to operate inside Gaza. In a statement last week, the group said the decision could leave hundreds of thousands of people there without adequate health care.
“[Doctors Without Borders] teams are trying to expand activities and support Gaza’s shattered health system. In 2025 alone, we carried out almost 800,000 outpatient consultations and handled more than 100,000 trauma cases,” said Pascale Coissard, the group’s emergency coordinator for Gaza. “If we obtain registration, we plan to continue strengthening our activities in 2026.”
COGAT officials say hundreds of international aid workers are operating inside Gaza, with most affiliated with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“Attempts by organizations to portray the humanitarian system in Gaza as dependent on their personnel are disconnected from the reality on the ground,” COGAT officials said in a statement.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.