THE ISRAELI government’s move to revoke the licences of 37 international organisations operating in Gaza and the West Bank, including Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Oxfam and Save the Children has been widely condemned.
The European Union also warned that banning 37 international organisations from operating in Gaza would prevent life-saving aid from reaching the devastated population.
EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Hajjah Lahbib, said: ‘The EU has been clear: the current registration law cannot be implemented as is.’
Her remarks came after Israeli authorities announced that any international organisation failing to submit a list of its Palestinian staff by Wednesday December 31st would be banned from operating in Gaza in 2026.
Lahbib said: ‘The law on international humanitarian assistance leaves no room for doubt: aid must reach those who need it.’
The Hamas Movement called the move a dangerous escalation against humanitarian work, adding that it reflects a ‘blatant disregard for the international community and the global humanitarian system’.
Hamas pointed out that Israel is attempting to weaponise humanitarian aid as a means of blackmail against the Palestinian people, who are facing an intensifying humanitarian catastrophe, especially in Gaza, as a result of the occupation’s ongoing policies.
The Movement called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, and human rights and humanitarian organisations to take immediate and effective action to condemn these measures and pressure the Israeli government and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse this policy.
Hamas also emphasised the need to prevent Israel from using humanitarian aid as a weapon of starvation and suffering, in clear violation of international law.
- Hamas, extended its Christmas greetings to Palestinian Christians on Wednesday, underscoring a shared national destiny in the face of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
In a press statement, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem offered congratulations to Christians across Palestine, with particular reference to Christians in the Gaza Strip, who, he said, have endured the same conditions of bombardment and destruction faced by the wider Palestinian population.
Qassem noted that churches in Gaza have been targeted alongside mosques as part of a genocidal war waged by Israel, stressing that these attacks reflect a unity of suffering and position among Palestinians of different religious backgrounds.
He expressed hope that the coming year would bring goodness and blessing to the Palestinian people, and that Palestine and its people would soon enjoy security, freedom, and dignity.
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