UN Chief Urges Israel to Lift Ban on Humanitarian Agencies in Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Israel to reverse its recent suspension of foreign humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, expressing deep concern over the move.

Guterres’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement on Friday that the UN chief “calls for this measure to be reversed, stressing that international non-governmental organizations are indispensable to life-saving humanitarian work and that the suspension risks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire.” He added that the decision “will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians.”

On Thursday, Israel suspended 37 foreign aid organizations from operating in Gaza after the groups refused to share lists of their Palestinian employees with Israeli authorities. The ban includes major organizations such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which employs roughly 1,200 staff in the Palestinian territories, most of them in Gaza. The affected NGOs have been ordered to halt their operations by March 1.

Several groups have criticized the new requirements, arguing they violate international humanitarian law or compromise the independence and neutrality of aid work. Israel has defended the move, stating it is intended to prevent organizations it accuses of supporting terrorism from operating in Palestinian territories.

The decision has drawn condemnation from Israel-based NGOs as well. On Thursday, 18 left-wing Israeli organizations said the ban violates “core humanitarian principles of independence and neutrality” and undermines vital humanitarian work.

The suspension comes amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza that has been in place since October 2023, following a deadly war triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. The conflict has inflicted severe damage on Gaza’s infrastructure. UN reports indicate that nearly 80 percent of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, leaving homes and public services in ruins. Gaza authorities have reported that more than 70,000 people were killed during the conflict, while roughly 1.5 million of the territory’s over two million residents have lost their homes, according to Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza.

The ban on humanitarian organizations has raised concerns about the delivery of essential aid, including medical services, food, and water. International agencies warn that halting operations at this critical time could worsen the already dire humanitarian situation and impede efforts to rebuild communities devastated by the war.

Guterres has emphasized that international NGOs play a vital role in supporting civilians caught in conflict and maintaining fragile humanitarian gains. The UN continues to call on Israel to allow aid agencies to operate freely and ensure that relief reaches those most in need.