Palestinians in Gaza say ‘lives will be destroyed’ by Israel’s NGO ban

Displaced people in Gaza warn new restrictions on aid groups will ‘lead to catastrophe’ in the devastated enclave.Published On 31 Dec 2025Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are sounding the alarm about Israel’s looming ban against dozens of international groups that provide life-saving assistance and services in the devastated territory.Siraj al-Masri, a Palestinian in Khan Younis, stressed on Wednesday that there is “no alternative” to the aid organisations helping besieged Palestinians in Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4As the world welcomes a new year, we, in Gaza, dread what it will bringlist 2 of 4Which aid groups is Israel banning from Gaza now – and what will it mean?list 3 of 4This is how the GHF weaponised food aid in Gazalist 4 of 4Four reasons why Benjamin Netanyahu may not want a Gaza ceasefire to holdend of list“Where are we supposed to go? We have no income, no money,” al-Masri told Al Jazeera.“Only a few medical points remain. This makes the situation extremely difficult and will lead to a catastrophe for the injured and the wounded. Even ordinary people who come seeking treatment will face severe hardship.”Israel is moving to revoke the licences of 37 international NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials MSF), as it pushes to demonise organisations that assist Palestinians, among them United Nations agencies, with unproven accusations of links to Hamas.Israel said the ban, which starts on Thursday and also includes the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, and the International Rescue Committee, among other groups, stems from new regulations that require aid organisations to reveal details about their staff and work.“Even with the presence of humanitarian organisations, the situation is already tragic,” Gaza resident Ramzi Abu al-Neel told Al Jazeera.“If their support and presence are removed, God knows what will happen. Many children will die, and lives will be destroyed, and many families will be devastated by this decision.”On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of 10 countries – including Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom – released a joint statement urging Israel to ensure that international NGOs “are able to operate in Gaza in a sustained and predictable way”.