At the center of the concern is a new registration system for international non-governmental organisations, introduced earlier this year.
Flawed Israeli system
Aid groups say the process is vague, politicized and impossible to enforce without violating humanitarian principles.
According to current standards, Dozens of organizations face deregistration at the end of December, followed by the forced closure of their operations within weeks..
“These organizations are not optional extras,” the statement said. “If they are expelled, the humanitarian response will not survive..”
International NGOs, working alongside UN agencies and Palestinian partners, deliver around $1 billion in assistance each year across the territory.
However, millions of dollars in food, medicine, hygiene supplies and shelter materials are now trapped outside Gaza, unable to reach families in need.
The warning comes as winter intensifies and amid fears that new restrictions could destabilize a fragile ceasefire.
impossible loss
Aid agencies stressed that the impact of the loss of international NGOs could not be absorbed by the UN or local groups, especially after Israeli limits on the Palestinian refugee aid agency, UNRWA, have already pushed the response to the limit.
According to the Humanitarian Country Team, international NGOs support or manage much of Gaza’s basic infrastructure for survival.
They support field hospitals and primary health care clinics, provide clean water and sanitation, distribute emergency shelters, and treat children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Health facilities will close
If they are forced to leave, one in three health centers in Gaza would close almost immediately, disrupting care for tens of thousands of patients.
Aid leaders said they had repeatedly raised these concerns with Israeli authorities and sought viable solutions to keep operations running.
“There has been no adjustment,” the statement said, warning that the dismantling of NGO operations now appears imminent.
Humanitarian access, the agencies insisted, is a legal obligation, not a political choice.
“Lifesaving assistance must be allowed to reach the Palestinians without further delay.”the statement concluded, urging Israel to allow rapid and unimpeded aid deliveries and to ensure that humanitarian organizations can operate independently and safely.
Without swift action, the team warned, the consequences for civilians in Gaza would be catastrophic.