Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli drone targets a car on the Ayta al-Shaab-Debel road in southern Lebanon
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: The remaining airlines that have not yet complied with the ban are urged to take this into serious consideration to ensure the safety of their aircraft and passengers
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: The YAF, after successfully imposing a partial ban on air traffic at Lydd Airport, are now working to impose a full ban on air traffic at the aforementioned airport in the coming period
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: YAF's UAV Unit carried out three military operations targeting three vital Israeli sites in the occupied Palestinian areas of Yafa, Isdud, and Umm al-Rashrash, using three drones
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: The operation successfully achieved its objective, causing millions of Zionist settlers to flee to shelters and bringing airport operations to a halt
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: YAF targeted Lydd Airport in the occupied Yafa area (Tel Aviv) with a hypersonic ballistic missile
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport airspace sut down following missile launch from Yemen
Israeli media: Air raid sirens sound in the central region and Hashfala following the detection of a missile launch from Yemen
SDF announces the killing of three of its members as a result of ISIS cells detonating a landmine targeting a vehicle of a security patrol on the Hasaka-Raqqa road
The Popular Resistance Committees: We call on all international institutions to take urgent action and uphold their responsibilities by restoring and immediately enforcing effective mechanisms for the distribution of humanitarian aid.

New Israeli rules may make aiding Palestinians nearly impossible: NGOs

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 17 Mar 2025 09:59
  • 7 Shares
5 Min Read

"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.

Listen
  • x
  • Palestinian girls struggle as they get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025 (AP)
    Palestinian girls struggle as they get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP)

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.

Read next: Israeli military facilitating Gaza aid looting by gangsters: FT

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

Related News

US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza used as tool for forced displacement: MSF

Saudi FM: 'Israel' blocking Ramallah visit confirms its 'extremism'

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]."

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.

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.

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.

  • Palestine
  • Humanitarian aid
  • Israel
  • COGAT
  • Gaza
  • Palestinians
  • Israeli government

Most Read

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
MIT bans class president who gave pro-Palestine speech
US & Canada

MIT bans class president over pro-Palestine speech

Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit
Politics

Arab ministers condemn Israeli ban on planned West Bank visit

Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Politics

China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: Reports
Technology

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: NBC News

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS