Aid groups petition Israeli Supreme Court as Gaza, West Bank work ban nears

Israel has ordered 37 aid groups to halt life-saving operations in war-torn Gaza, as well as the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.Published On 25 Feb 2026Seventeen international aid groups said they have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to allow them to keep working in the Gaza Strip and other areas in the occupied Palestinian territory, where the Israeli government is set to halt their life-saving work next month.The Israeli government says it will ban 37 aid groups from war-torn Gaza, the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem on March 1, a move described as having potentially devastating consequences for Palestinians.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4UEFA and FIFA may get a red card at the ICC for ignoring Israeli violationslist 2 of 4Israeli settlers deface, set fire to West Bank mosque during Ramadanlist 3 of 4Heavy rains flood Gaza tents as Israel kills two more Palestinianslist 4 of 4Israeli forces fired over 900 bullets to kill Gaza medics in 2025: Reportend of listIn a joint statement on Tuesday, aid groups said they have appealed to the Supreme Court seeking an urgent suspension of the plan to ban them from working, and are seeking an urgent interim injunction from the court pending a full judicial review of the Israeli order.Oxfam International said on Tuesday that the forced closure of aid operations in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory could begin as early as Saturday.“The effect would be immediate, extending well beyond individual organisations to the wider humanitarian system,” Oxfam warned.“In Gaza, families remain dependent on external assistance amid continuing restrictions on aid entry and renewed strikes in densely populated areas,” it said in a statement.“In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, military incursions, demolitions, displacement, settlement expansion and settler violence are driving rising humanitarian needs,” it added.The court action comes as aid organisations – including Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE – were notified by Israeli authorities on December 30, 2025, that their Israeli work registrations had expired and that they had 60 days to renew them and provide lists containing personal details on their Palestinian staff.