Arabic version: محكمة إسرائيل العليا تسمح لوكالات الإغاثة بالعمل في غزة

Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that dozens of international aid agencies can continue to operate in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories, freezing an earlier government decision that barred aid groups that failed to comply with new rules.

According to Al Jazeera, the court issued a temporary injunction on Friday, allowing the NGOs to continue most of their activities while it considers a petition from 17 aid agencies against the government ban.

The Israeli government had announced it will ban 37 aid groups from war-torn Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and occupied East Jerusalem on March 1. Experts warned that this ban could have potentially devastating consequences for Palestinians, already suffering from the effects of conflict.

Aid organizations – including Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE – were notified by Israeli authorities in December that their Israeli work registrations had expired and that they had 60 days to renew them and provide lists containing personal details on their Palestinian staff. The organisations say compliance with the Israeli orders would expose their Palestinian staff to potential retaliation, undermine the principle of humanitarian neutrality and violate European data protection law.

In response to the ruling, Shaina Low, communication adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council, acknowledged the positive aspect of the injunction but highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by aid groups in Gaza. She noted that while immediate closures have been paused, broader restrictions on aid delivery remain a significant issue. The situation in Gaza continues to be described as catastrophic, with humanitarian needs escalating in the West Bank as well.