Israel’s recent suspension of numerous organizations in the occupied Palestinian territories has been condemned by UN experts as a serious breach of international law. They accused Israel of exacerbating life-threatening conditions by obstructing humanitarian aid efforts.
“Banning life-saving organizations from operating in Gaza marks a new phase in a policy that renders life unbearable for a population already devastated by genocide,” the experts stated. They emphasized that this approach could lead to chronic deprivation for Palestinians, jeopardizing their survival as a group and violating the Genocide Convention.
On December 30, 2025, a new regulation was announced that prohibits 37 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) from working in Gaza and the West Bank. This regulation allows Israeli authorities extensive discretionary power to deny operational status to INGOs based on their past support for international legal actions against Israeli citizens, involvement in boycotts, or their failure to recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
The experts characterized the ban as part of a systematic effort to undermine humanitarian operations in the occupied territories and as a significant step toward dismantling Gaza’s lifeline. “In Gaza, genocide survivors are battling winter, severe food insecurity, malnutrition, and the collapse of healthcare and education systems due to environmental damage from Israeli aggression,” they noted.
They further claimed that these measures constitute collective punishment amid ongoing assaults on humanitarian personnel and obstacles to aid convoys. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have reportedly killed over 500 humanitarian workers and at least 1,500 health professionals, intimidating and harassing aid workers. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has emerged as a primary target, among others.
The experts stressed that these actions should be viewed within a legal and factual framework, functioning as a strategy to impose chronic deprivation on Palestinians, thereby threatening their collective survival and infringing upon the Genocide Convention.
As of December 31, 2025, nearly USD 50 million worth of essential aid remained obstructed amid ongoing ceasefire violations, including Israeli military operations in over half of Gaza, resulting in more than 400 Palestinian casualties within three months.
“We have entered a new phase in which Israel and its supporters have reached the genocide without witness stage,” the experts asserted. They pointed out that with journalists being killed or denied access, humanitarian organizations being paralyzed or expelled, and a misleading global perception of a ‘ceasefire,’ atrocities are occurring without public oversight.
In early December, UN agencies and NGOs managed to deliver only 14,600 tents for 85,000 people, leaving approximately 1.3 million Palestinians without adequate winter shelter. Tragically, several individuals, including six children, have died from cold-related conditions.
“There are no words left to describe what Gaza has become,” the experts stated. They emphasized that Israeli occupying forces lack the legal authority to obstruct aid or impose conditions on humanitarian organizations, asserting that the occupation remains unlawful under international law. The experts called for an end to Israel’s control over Palestinian lives and land as the only resolution to this legal issue.
They urged states, especially those with influence, to take immediate action to facilitate the unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. It is deemed unacceptable for any state accused of international crimes to obstruct access to life-saving aid in occupied territories.
The experts warned that leaders of other states could be held accountable if they fail to take necessary steps to prevent further acts of genocide. They concluded that while ending Israel’s unlawful occupation and apartheid practices is crucial for lasting peace, states must act to eliminate barriers to humanitarian efforts and ensure safe, unrestricted access through UN-supervised land and sea corridors.
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