Is Israel restricting MSF in Gaza?

 Is Israel restricting MSF in Gaza?

Yes, Israel is imposing significant restrictions on the operations of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other aid organizations in Gaza. These restrictions include new registration rules and impediments to bringing essential supplies into the territory. 

Current Restrictions

• Aid Entry Limitations: MSF reports that Israeli authorities continue to impose significant restrictions on the entry of vital aid, especially medical equipment, shelter, hygiene items, and spare parts for critical infrastructure.
• "Dual-Use" Items: The flow of aid is limited by Israel's opaque list of "dual-use" items, which includes essential equipment like generators, water desalination stations, and communication gear that aid groups struggle to get approved and transported into Gaza.
• Security Situation and Suspensions: Due to intensified Israeli military operations and the resulting security risks for staff and patients, MSF has been forced to suspend activities in certain areas, including Gaza City. MSF clinics were reportedly encircled by Israeli forces.
• Access to Healthcare: Ongoing military operations in areas with major hospitals have reduced safe access to health care for the population. 

New Rules Threaten Future Operations 

MSF has issued stark warnings that new Israeli registration rules for international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) could force them to stop operating in Gaza and the West Bank entirely starting January 1, 2026. 

• Revocation of Registration: The new requirements threaten to revoke the legal status of organizations like MSF if they do not meet certain criteria, potentially barring them from providing essential services.
• Catastrophic Consequences: MSF warns that losing access for independent humanitarian organizations would be a "disaster for Palestinians," who are almost entirely reliant on aid for survival, given the widespread destruction of Gaza's health system. 

MSF continues to seek constructive engagement with Israeli authorities to maintain and expand its life-saving activities, which currently support nearly half a million people in Gaza through hospitals, field hospitals, and health centers.