Humanitarian Organizations Sound the Alarm: Israel Prevents Vital Aid to Gaza with New Laws

More than 100 non-governmental organizations, including "Oxfam" and "Doctors Without Borders", have renewed their warning about Israel's exploitation of new laws to obstruct humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, noting the rejection of dozens of requests to bring in life-saving supplies on the grounds that these organizations are "not authorized to deliver aid".

The organizations revealed in a joint letter published on Thursday that Israeli authorities rejected at least 60 requests for aid entry during the month of July alone, while continuing to tighten restrictions on the work of foreign organizations operating with Palestinians.

These measures came after the Israeli government approved a package of rules in March that regulate the work of foreign non-governmental organizations, which require these organizations to register under new conditions to maintain their legal presence in Israel, with provisions allowing for the rejection of their requests or cancellation of their registration.

The new law stipulates the possibility of rejecting the registration of any organization if the authorities believe it "denies the democratic character of Israel or promotes campaigns to delegitimize it".

For his part, Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli commented to AFP: "Unfortunately, many relief organizations operate as a cover for activities that are sometimes hostile and violent." Chikli, who led the efforts to pass the law, added that "organizations that have no connection to hostile or violent activities and have no ties to the boycott movement will be permitted to operate".

In contrast, relief organizations accused Israel of using these laws to deprive Gaza residents of essential aid, at a time when the international community warns of famine threatening large parts of the besieged territory.

It is worth noting that Israel accuses Hamas of stealing humanitarian aid, while distribution operations witness chaos and recurring violence. Since last May, Israel has relied on the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation", which is U.S.-backed, to manage food distribution centers, but the distribution operations have been marred by violence, including gunfire from the Israeli army that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.