Israel's Supreme Court this week upheld the government's draconian new NGO registration rules , paving the way for dozens of international aid agencies to be banned from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The court on Wednesday unanimously rejected a petition filed by the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) challenging Israel's banning of 37 organisations from the occupied territories.
Israeli authorities revoked the licenses of the agencies in January after they refused to comply with the intrusive registration requirements, which they said would put their staff members at risk and violate international laws.
Agencies have warned of devastating consequences if Israel moves ahead with the bans, which would see the dismantling of much of the humanitarian infrastructure relied on by millions of Palestinians in the enclave.
Among the 37 organisations whose licences were revoked were some of the world's largest humanitarian groups, including Oxfam, Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the International Rescue Committee.
The development comes as Israel has also failed to fulfil the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect in October, and calls for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Strip unimpeded. Without the required flow of aid into Gaza, conditions have worsened, with the majority still lacking access to nutritious meals and essential medicines. 'Deeply disappointing' The Israeli regulations require relief agencies to disclose unprecedented levels of information to receive a license, including the personal details of all local and foreign employees, and information about their funding sources.
They also allow for the banning of organisations critical of Israel, including those that support a boycott, back the prosecution of Israeli soldiers, or "deny Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state".
In its ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court gave the organisations 30 days to comply with the rules. Those who fail to hand over the information will be forced to immediately shut down their operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
AIDA's attorneys called the decision "deeply disappointing".
"It once again reflects the marginal status accorded to international law within the Israeli judicial system," they said in a statement shared with The New Arab .
"In the midst of an acute humanitarian crisis, characterised by the collapse of the medical infrastructure and extreme living conditions in Gaza, Israel chooses to prohibit the entry of essential aid and professional personnel," they added.
AIDA took the legal action on behalf of 19 international aid agencies, which included some of those facing a ban.
In the petition, it argued that the measures are contrary to Israel's obligations under international law as an occupying power and violate the principle of neutrality.
"Turning humanitarian organisations into an information-gathering arm for a party to the conflict stands in total contradiction to the principle of neutrality," the petition read.
But the Supreme Court held that the information requirement is a "limited and proportionate measure".
Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz described them as a "critical necessity" for Israel's security.
Oxfam is still reviewing the ruling with its legal team and other petitioners, but remains committed to continuing to support people in Palestine, a spokesperson told The New Arab .
"At a time of catastrophic need and severe access restrictions, any further constraints on principled humanitarian organisations risk undermining life-saving assistance to Palestinian communities," they said. 'Cynical and calculated' Israel's diaspora affairs ministry, which authored the regulations, has justified the crackdown by alleging that international NGOs are complicit with terrorism.
COGAT, a division of the military in charge of civilian and humanitarian affairs, claimed the changes were necessary to prevent Hamas from exploiting aid. Neither has provided evidence to back up their claims.
But humanitarian groups say Israel is attempting to further weaken the humanitarian system and install organisations willing to cooperate with its military goals.
Authorities have in recent months approved two dozen new organisations to work in Gaza and the West Bank, many of which are politically aligned with the Netanyahu government. Humanitarian workers have expressed doubts about their experience and capacity to fill the void should the 37 agencies be blocked from operating.
MSF has previously described the regulations as a "cynical and calculated attempt" to heavily restrict Palestinians' access to aid. The organisation declined to comment on the Supreme Court's ruling when contacted by The New Arab .
The petitioning agencies say they are involved in more than half of all food assistance in Gaza, almost two-thirds of field hospital operations, and all inpatient treatment of severely malnourished children.
The targeted organisations are involved in all areas of the humanitarian effort in Gaza, including health, food security, education and sanitation.
"At a moment when civilians depend on assistance to survive, that outcome would carry immediate and irreversible human consequences," the petition read.