Tel aviv: Israel's new registration requirements for international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) could severely impact the delivery of lifesaving healthcare services in Gaza by 2026, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) cautioned on Monday. The organization highlighted concerns that these rules, set to take effect on January 1, could lead to the withdrawal of registration for INGOs, hindering their ability to provide essential services in both Gaza and the West Bank.
According to Anadolu Agency, MSF emphasized the dire consequences of the new rules, noting that Gaza's already strained health system could face further deterioration. The organization stressed that independent and experienced humanitarian organizations losing access would be disastrous for Palestinians. MSF urged Israeli authorities to ensure that INGOs can continue their impartial and independent response in Gaza.
The implications of the new regulations are profound, as MSF warned against further dismantling the restricted humanitarian response. Pascale Coissard, MSF's emergency coordinator for Gaza, reported that in the past year, MSF teams have treated hundreds of thousands of patients and delivered substantial quantities of water. With nearly 800,000 outpatient consultations and over 100,000 trauma cases treated in 2025, MSF is keen to expand its support for Gaza's ailing health system.
Coissard further advised that if access to Gaza is lost in 2026 due to these new regulations, a significant portion of Gaza's population would be deprived of critical medical care and lifesaving support. MSF's activities presently cater to nearly half a million people in Gaza, providing essential services to the crippled health system.
The context of these developments is marked by a history of conflict, with the Israeli army having killed nearly 71,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in Gaza since October 2023. Although a ceasefire was enacted on October 10, Israel has been accused of violating the agreement by not allowing the agreed amounts of medical aid trucks, which the Health Ministry describes as exacerbating a critical and ongoing health emergency.