Israeli Supreme Court Halts Aid Group Ban in Gaza Temporarily

Israel's highest court has temporarily stopped the government from shutting down dozens of humanitarian organizations working in Gaza. The aid groups had challenged new Israeli requirements to provide names of their Palestinian employees, citing safety concerns for their workers.

JERUSALEM – Israel’s Supreme Court issued a temporary order Friday preventing the government from closing down the Gaza operations of numerous humanitarian organizations that had challenged the shutdown in court.

Back in December, Israeli authorities gave 37 international relief organizations a 60-day deadline to either comply with new registration requirements or cease their work in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The affected groups include well-known organizations like Doctors Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The new Israeli regulations demand that these organizations provide the names of their Palestinian employees. However, 17 relief groups along with the Association of International Development Agencies filed an emergency petition with Israel’s High Court of Justice on Sunday, arguing the shutdown would create devastating humanitarian impacts.

The Supreme Court’s temporary order permits these aid organizations to maintain most of their current operations while the court reviews their legal challenge.

The humanitarian groups argue that revealing staff information could endanger their workers’ lives, particularly given that hundreds of aid personnel have been killed or wounded during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israeli officials have stated the registration requirements are designed to prevent Palestinian militant groups from redirecting humanitarian supplies, though aid agencies contest claims that significant amounts of aid have been diverted.

Athena Rayburn, who serves as executive director of AIDA, expressed cautious optimism about the court ruling. “We’re still waiting to see how the injunction will be interpreted by the state and whether or not this will mean an increase in our ability to operate,” Rayburn stated, while noting that conditions inside Gaza remain “catastrophic.”

Israeli government representatives have not yet provided responses to media inquiries about the court decision.