More than 100 nonprofit groups have criticized Israel’s rules for aid organizations working in the Gaza Strip, saying they block much-needed relief and replace independent organizations with those serving Israel’s agenda. The groups, including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, and CARE, claim that registering their donors and staff could endanger staff and give Israel broad grounds to block aid if deemed “delegitimizing” the country or supporting boycotts.
The rules, announced in March, require organizations to hand over full lists of their donors and Palestinian staff for vetting. The groups argue this could lead to aid being stuck at border crossings. They have called on other countries and donors to pressure Israel to end what they term “weaponization of aid.”
Meanwhile, the amount of aid reaching Gaza remains far below what the UN and relief groups previously delivered. Hospitals in Gaza reported casualties from Israeli strikes, with four additional malnutrition-related deaths announced, raising the total to 239.
Israel has denied these claims, saying it allows aid into Gaza that adheres to its rules. However, aid groups have long operated in Gaza and decry the amount of life-saving supplies stuck at border crossings. The US envoy Steve Witkoff had met with UN humanitarian officials about scaling up aid into Gaza.
The Israeli government also announced plans for a new settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, citing that it would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.” Rights groups have swiftly condemned the plan, calling it “deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution.”
As European countries amplify their criticisms of Israel, some are expanding evacuations. Italy recently evacuated 114 Palestinians from Gaza, including injured children, citing concerns over the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-humanitarian-israel-f71ba8cb4a67d886270bd0ca3954bc70