Over 100 organizations have co-signed a letter urging Israel to cease the “weaponisation of aid” into Gaza, where “starvation deepens.” Humanitarian groups like Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) report being told they are “not authorized” to deliver aid unless they comply with stricter Israeli regulations. The letter states groups risk bans if they “delegitimize” Israel or fail to provide detailed information on Palestinian staff. Israel denies restricting aid and insists the rules, enacted in March, ensure aid goes “directly to the population and not Hamas.”
As per the joint letter, major international NGOs have been unable to deliver life-saving supplies since March 2. They say Israeli authorities have “rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in life-saving goods” due to new regulations, with over 60 requests denied in July alone. Aid delivery issues have resulted in “hospitals lacking basic supplies,” and victims include children and the elderly, suffering from hunger and preventable diseases. Sean Carroll, CEO of American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), highlighted that “over $7 million in lifesaving supplies are stuck in Ashdod, blocked just kilometers from Gaza.”
Israel attributes any aid delays to organizations not meeting security requirements intended to avoid Hamas’s involvement. Cogat, the Israeli military body managing aid, claims approximately 20 organizations have registered and bring aid into Gaza, with nearly 300 daily truck entries. The UN, however, states 600 trucks daily are needed. New guidelines from March update how aid groups must register to operate in Israel and outline conditions for application denial or registration revocation. Registration can be rejected if groups are seen as denying Israel’s democratic character or supporting “delegitimization campaigns.”
Israel’s Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli told AFP that aid groups “often serve as fronts for hostile or violent activity.” Organizations without such connections, including to boycott movements, will get operation permissions, Chikli stated. Oxfam Policy Lead Bushra Khalidi raised concerns over Israel rejecting more than $2.5 million worth of goods from entering Gaza, indicating that the registration process may compromise INGO’s independence and ability to speak out.
This warning arises amid intensified Israeli bombardment of Gaza City, with plans to take control of the city. Israel claims it will provide humanitarian assistance to civilians “outside combat zones” but hasn’t clarified if this aid will be channeled through the Israel and US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Israel argues this system prevents Hamas theft, a claim Hamas denies. The UN reported 859 Palestinian deaths near GHF sites since May, though GHF disputes this. In the joint statement, MSF’s emergency coordinator Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa described the distribution scheme in Gaza as having “weaponized starvation.”
MSF’s secretary-general Chris Lockyear told the BBC that GHF is a “death trap,” with Gaza’s humanitarian situation “hanging on by a thread.” The 2023 Hamas attack resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths, with 251 hostages taken into Gaza. Israel’s response offensive has reportedly killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, as per the Hamas-run health ministry, which also reported 235 starvation-related deaths, including 106 children.