BRUSSELS, 13 Jan. - (ANA) - Israel has revoked the licenses of 37 NGOs operating in Gaza under new rules believed to be aimed at dismantling the humanitarian aid system.

 

The EU on Tuesday urged Israel to end its crackdown on international NGOs operating in the occupied Palestinian territories, which is set to see dozens of humanitarian organisations banned from Gaza and the West Bank.

 

Israel earlier this month revoked the licenses of 37 organisations under new rules that aid agencies say is aimed at dismantling the humanitarian aid system and bringing it under Israel's control.

 

Among the NGOs set to be banned are some of the largest and most well-known in the world, including Oxfam, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Save the Children, ActionAid, and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

 

The organisations have not been able to bring any supplies or staff into Gaza since having their licenses revoked. Israel says they must completely halt their operations by the end of February.

 

The UN and relief agencies have warned of "catastrophic" consequences if Palestinians are deprived of vital assistance, particularly in Gaza which continues to suffer one of the world's deepest humanitarian crises.

 

In a joint statement, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and the bloc's commissioners for equality and the Mediterranean region said the new NGO law risked worsening the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and depriving them of vital aid.

 

Conditions in the territory remain desperate almost three months into the ceasefire, amid harsh winter weather and continued food shortages, with more than a million displaced people living in tents.

 

"We call on Israel to allow international NGOs to operate and deliver life-saving aid to civilians in need in Palestine," the commissioners said.

 

"Without these international NGOs, humanitarian aid cannot be delivered at the scale needed to prevent further loss of life in Gaza," they added.

 

Under the rules, Israel requires NGOs to disclose unprecedented levels of information to receive a licence.

 

This includes the personal information of all local and foreign employees and details about their funding sources.

 

The guidelines also allow the government to deny licences to organisations that have criticised Israel.

 

Many NGOs have refused to disclose personal information, which they say could endanger the lives of their staff.

 

MSF has described the rules as a "cynical and calculated attempt to stop organisations like ours from providing life-saving care to those facing a genocide".

 

NGOs have urged the international community to intervene and pressure Israel into easing the rules.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/13 January 2026 - - -