GAZA CITY, Palestine: Israel said on Sunday it will terminate the operations of the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the Gaza Strip, citing the organisation’s refusal to provide a list of its Palestinian staff, a move that aid groups warn will further restrict life-saving assistance in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said it was moving to end MSF’s activities after the charity failed to comply with registration requirements imposed on humanitarian organisations operating in Gaza.
“The decision follows MSF’s failure to submit lists of local employees, a requirement applicable to all humanitarian organisations operating in the region,” the ministry said in a statement.
Israel said MSF had committed in early January to sharing the staff list but later declined, citing concerns over employee safety and a lack of assurances on how the information would be used.
“Subsequently, MSF announced it does not intend to proceed with the registration process at all, contradicting its previous statements and the binding protocol,” the ministry said, adding that MSF must cease operations and leave Gaza by February 28.
In December, Israel announced it would bar 37 aid organisations, including MSF, from operating in Gaza from March 1 for failing to submit detailed information on Palestinian employees.
The move drew criticism from humanitarian groups and the United Nations.
MSF rejects decision
MSF said Israel’s decision was a pretext to obstruct humanitarian aid in the war-ravaged enclave.
“This is a pretext to obstruct humanitarian assistance,” MSF said in a statement.
“Israeli authorities are forcing humanitarian organisations into an impossible choice between exposing staff to risk or interrupting critical medical care for people in desperate need.”
The charity said it had refused to hand over staff details due to fears for employee safety.
MSF has been a major provider of medical care in Gaza, especially since the war began on October 7, 2023.
The organisation says it currently provides around 20 percent of hospital beds in the territory and operates about 20 health centres.
In 2025, MSF said it carried out more than 800,000 medical consultations and assisted in over 10,000 infant deliveries, while also providing drinking water.
The charity said 15 of its staff members have been killed during the conflict.
Aid groups warned that the loss of MSF’s services could severely affect emergency care, maternal health and paediatric treatment in Gaza, where the healthcare system has been badly damaged.
Medical professionals and humanitarian experts said the decision signals a broader tightening of restrictions on aid delivery.
James Smith, an emergency physician based in London, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s move was part of the “instrumentalisation of aid”, arguing that the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system has increased dependence on international organisations.
