UN Chief Urges Israel to Reverse Gaza NGO Ban.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on Israel to lift its ban on humanitarian organizations in Gaza, saying the move “risks undermining fragile progress made during the ceasefire” and could worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Israel suspended 37 foreign NGOs on Thursday after they refused to provide lists of Palestinian employees. The ban affects groups including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which has 1,200 staff in the Palestinian territories. The organizations have been ordered to cease operations by March 1.
Several NGOs criticized the move, saying it violates international humanitarian law and threatens their independence. Israel defended the ban as a measure to prevent organizations it alleges are linked to terrorism from operating in Gaza.
Eighteen Israel-based left-wing NGOs condemned the decision, calling it a violation of “core humanitarian principles of independence and neutrality.”
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire:
- Over 70,000 people killed since the conflict began in October 2023.
- Nearly 80% of buildings damaged or destroyed.
- Around 1.5 million residents displaced.
Guterres stressed that NGOs are “indispensable to life-saving humanitarian work,” highlighting the urgent need for their continued access amid ongoing recovery efforts.
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