The UN and other aid agencies fear new Israeli registration rules for dozens of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) risk the collapse of the humanitarian response in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
INGOs not registered by 31 December face closure of their operations in Israel within 60 days, which the agencies say could severely disrupt healthcare and other life-saving services in Gaza.
Save the Children said its application had not been approved and it was 'pursuing all available avenues to have this decision reconsidered.'
Israel's ministry of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism said the departure of 'rogue organisations' would not affect the delivery of aid.
Fourteen out of the approximately 100 applications have so far been rejected, 21 have been approved, and those remaining are still undergoing review, according to the ministry.
The registration system introduced in March includes several grounds for rejection, including denying the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and supporting an armed struggle against Israel.
The Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory warned that the system 'fundamentally jeopardises' the operations of INGOs in Gaza and the West Bank.
'While some INGOs have been registered under the new system, these INGOs represent only a fraction of the response in Gaza and are nowhere near the number required just to meet immediate and basic needs.'
The team also highlighted that INGOs currently run or support the majority of Gaza's field hospitals and primary healthcare centres, along with essential services for water and sanitation.
If their operations cease, one in three health facilities in Gaza could close, leading to dire consequences, especially in winter.
Israeli officials maintain that there has been ample time for organizations to register and that humanitarian aid will continue uninterrupted, denying claims of mass rejections.
Save the Children confirmed it was pursuing all avenues, including legal action, to revisit the registration decision, while MSF urged Israeli authorities to ensure INGOs can maintain their humanitarian roles amidst growing needs.
