Israel takes steps to shut down international aid groups in Gaza and the West Bank amid continued restriction of aid

Israel, having banned the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees from sending aid and staff to Gaza, is now taking unprecedented steps to de-register major nongovernmental aid groups for ideological reasons. … The new rules threaten the ability of some of the biggest international nongovernmental organizations to send in aid or staff to both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "INGOs are in limbo — most who have submitted have either been not accepted or rejected" … The ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war brokered this month by President Trump committed Israel to a surge in aid into Gaza, where food security experts declared famine in parts of the territory. But Israel continues to severely restrict crossings open for aid shipments and who can send aid through them. Of seven Israeli border crossings with Gaza, only two are currently open. Of those that are open, the U.N. and nongovernmental aid groups say many requests to enter Gaza are routinely rejected, without explanation. … The Norwegian Refugee Council, registered in Gaza since 2009, is one of the major aid groups unable to send in supplies or staff while its application is being considered. "We quickly realized that the intent behind the process wasn't to facilitate the re-registration of humanitarian INGOs but rather to find a way to re-register us and to remove our ability to operate," says Ivan Karakashian, communications manager for the NRC in Jerusalem. … Many of those aid groups waiting to be re-registered have had hundreds of trucks waiting for months in Egypt and Jordan intended for Gaza. Humanitarian officials said at least one major U.S.-based NGO has already been de-registered and is now in the appeal process. … Another U.S.-based aid group, Mercy Corps, said following the ceasefire agreement, it had submitted a request to send in aid but it was denied by Israeli authorities because the organization was in the process of re-registering. … Israel continues to ban the U.N. agency for providing aid to Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, from sending in aid or staff to Gaza. Israel accused UNRWA, without evidence, of employing hundreds of Hamas members. … UNRWA, with 12,000 local staff, was the biggest humanitarian organization in Gaza, running shelters, mobile medical clinics, water and sanitation projects and schools. "The warehouses in Jordan and Egypt are full of food that can feed the entire population of Gaza for three months and we need to bring that in," says Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA's director of external relations. The supplies also include medicine, tents, blankets and hygiene products. Israeli airstrikes have damaged or destroyed more than 90% of homes in Gaza and most of the civilian infrastructure, according to U.N. figures. …