New Israeli Rules May Make Aiding Palestinians Nearly Impossible: NGOs
"Israel" has been tightening its grip on humanitarian aid to Palestinians, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip after more than a year of war waged by the Israeli army.
New rules proposed by the Israeli government could make delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza in the West Bank “almost impossible”, sparking fears among NGOs dedicated to aiding Palestinians.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli body responsible for overseeing Palestinian affairs, presented a new plan for humanitarian aid distribution, which some NGOs considered unacceptable, AFP reported on Monday.
“The ability to deliver aid and adhere to humanitarian principles in Gaza, the access restrictions we’re facing in the West Bank… All of these things, when you put them together, you just feel like you’re watching the apocalypse,” an anonymous staffer told AFP, describing the situation as “We basically have a fire extinguisher trying to put out a nuclear bomb.”
At the end of February, COGAT proposed a plan to strengthen Israeli control of aid by setting up logistics centers connected to the military and implementing stricter controls over the entire humanitarian supply chain, with the stated objective of combating looting and misappropriation of aid.
A representative of a European NGO stated to AFP, “The thinking (of COGAT) was that Hamas would rebuild itself thanks to humanitarian aid…that’s false, and humanitarian aid won’t bring them rockets or missiles,” adding that “Israel” is only seeking more control over the area.
The NGOs noted that the date when the new rules set by COGAT on humanitarian aid will go into effect remains unknown.
A separate mandate by the Israeli government set in March had already tightened the registration of NGOs working with Palestinians through a new framework, requiring organizations to provide detailed information about their staff, granting the government the authority to reject employees it considers connected to the “delegitimisation” of “Israel”.
This comes after “Israel” enforced a ban on humanitarian aid entering Gaza on March 2, when the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza ended, in an attempt to pressure Hamas into extending the first phase instead of moving into the second phase of the agreement.
‘Israel’ tightens Gaza blockade, violates ceasefire
In the latest measure to tighten its grip on Gaza, the Israeli Minister of energy Eli Cohen announced that he signed an order to cut electricity from the Strip on March 9, emphasizing that “Israel will “use all the tools at our disposal to bring back the hostages and ensure that Hamas is no longer in Gaza the day after [the war].”
UNICEF spokesperson Rosalia Bollen warned on March 8 that the embargo risks the death of children, blocking both aid and fuel from entering Gaza, where insufficient electricity and fuel shortages jeopardize critical infrastructure, including hospitals and desalination plants, stressing the urgent need to scale up water production.
The head of the Government Media Office in Gaza, Salama Maarouf, urged the international community on March 8, International Women’s Day, to remember the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation, which have led to the killing of 12,316 women in Gaza.
MSF slams ‘Israel’ for weaponizing humanitarian aid
In a similar context, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced on March 13 “Israel’s use of aid as a tool of war in Gaza,” condemning the ongoing blockade that deprives Palestinian civilians of essential resources, including water and electricity.
In a statement, MSF said it “strongly condemns” the Israeli-imposed siege, accusing Israeli authorities of employing “collective punishment” and “instrumentalising humanitarian needs by using it as a bargaining chip” amid ceasefire negotiations.
“Israeli authorities are yet again normalising the use of aid as a negotiation tool. This is outrageous. Humanitarian aid should never be used as a bargaining chip in war,” said Myriam Laaroussi, MSF’s emergency coordinator.
Laaroussi further warned, “A ceasefire without scaling up humanitarian aid is contradictory,” stressing that MSF’s ability to operate would be severely restricted without fuel supplies.
The organization urged Israeli authorities to “respect international humanitarian law and uphold its responsibilities as an occupying power” by ending the blockade.
MSF also called on “Israel’s” allies, who have “ignored this grave violation of international humanitarian law,” to “refrain from normalising such actions” and take action “to prevent Gaza from plunging further into devastation.”
This is happening as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced it will begin hearings on “Israel’s” humanitarian obligations to Palestinians in The Hague on April 28.
The hearings follow a UN General Assembly resolution passed in December, which requests an advisory opinion from the ICJ on this issue. The resolution, adopted after “Israel’s” decision to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), urges the ICJ to clarify “Israel’s” responsibility in “ensuring and facilitating the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population.”
While ICJ rulings are legally binding, the court lacks the means to enforce them.
