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| Aid groups say Israel’s new registration rules are ‘weaponising aid’ | Aid groups say Israel’s new registration rules are ‘weaponising aid’ |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Lifesaving goods for starved people in Gaza blocked by vague rules on anti-Israeli activity, say humanitarian bodies | Lifesaving goods for starved people in Gaza blocked by vague rules on anti-Israeli activity, say humanitarian bodies |
| More than 100 aid organisations working in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have accused Israel of dangerously “weaponising aid” in its application of new rules for registering groups involved in delivering humanitarian assistance. | More than 100 aid organisations working in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have accused Israel of dangerously “weaponising aid” in its application of new rules for registering groups involved in delivering humanitarian assistance. |
| The letter represents the latest broadside from the international aid community against Israel after the EU, Britain and Japan on Tuesday called for urgent action to stop “famine” spreading in the Gaza Strip. | The letter represents the latest broadside from the international aid community against Israel after the EU, Britain and Japan on Tuesday called for urgent action to stop “famine” spreading in the Gaza Strip. |
| The letter was published as Gaza’s health authority reported continuing deaths from malnutrition in the besieged Palestinian territory, and amid threats by Israel to take full military control of the coastal strip with reports in Hebrew media suggesting the country may be planning to mobilise up to 100,000 reservists for the new offensive. | The letter was published as Gaza’s health authority reported continuing deaths from malnutrition in the besieged Palestinian territory, and amid threats by Israel to take full military control of the coastal strip with reports in Hebrew media suggesting the country may be planning to mobilise up to 100,000 reservists for the new offensive. |
| The letter, signed by organisations including Oxfam, Médecins Sans Frontières and Care, was written in response to registration rules announced by Israel in March that require organisations to hand over lists of their donors and Palestinian staff for vetting. | The letter, signed by organisations including Oxfam, Médecins Sans Frontières and Care, was written in response to registration rules announced by Israel in March that require organisations to hand over lists of their donors and Palestinian staff for vetting. |
| The groups contend that doing so could endanger their staff and give Israel broad grounds to block aid if groups are deemed to be “delegitimising” the country or supporting boycotts or divestment. | The groups contend that doing so could endanger their staff and give Israel broad grounds to block aid if groups are deemed to be “delegitimising” the country or supporting boycotts or divestment. |
| The registration measures were “designed to control independent organisations, silence advocacy and censor humanitarian reporting”, they said. | The registration measures were “designed to control independent organisations, silence advocacy and censor humanitarian reporting”, they said. |
| The letter added: “This obstruction has left millions of dollars’ worth of food, medicine, water and shelter items stranded in warehouses across Jordan and Egypt.” | The letter added: “This obstruction has left millions of dollars’ worth of food, medicine, water and shelter items stranded in warehouses across Jordan and Egypt.” |
| On Tuesday, Israel’s ministry for diaspora and combating antisemitism said it had revoked the work permits of 10 NGOs that had applied for authorisations. | On Tuesday, Israel’s ministry for diaspora and combating antisemitism said it had revoked the work permits of 10 NGOs that had applied for authorisations. |
| Under the new rules, which are vague and broad-reaching, a team led by the diaspora ministry can refuse registration to aid groups if they or their members published calls to boycott Israel in the past seven years; if there is “reasonable basis to assume” that they oppose Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state; or if they “actively advance delegitimisation activities against the state of Israel”. | Under the new rules, which are vague and broad-reaching, a team led by the diaspora ministry can refuse registration to aid groups if they or their members published calls to boycott Israel in the past seven years; if there is “reasonable basis to assume” that they oppose Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state; or if they “actively advance delegitimisation activities against the state of Israel”. |
| The aid groups’ letter said the rules violated European data privacy regulations, noting that in some cases aid groups had been given only seven days to comply. | The aid groups’ letter said the rules violated European data privacy regulations, noting that in some cases aid groups had been given only seven days to comply. |
| “Instead of clearing the growing backlog of goods, Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in lifesaving goods, citing that these organisations are ‘not authorised to deliver aid’,” the letter added, saying that 60 requests from 29 organisations were denied in July citing this justification. | “Instead of clearing the growing backlog of goods, Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in lifesaving goods, citing that these organisations are ‘not authorised to deliver aid’,” the letter added, saying that 60 requests from 29 organisations were denied in July citing this justification. |
| Cogat, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, denied the letter’s claims, adding without evidence that aid groups were being used as cover by Hamas to “exploit the aid to strengthen its military capabilities and consolidate its control”, despite the fact that Israel already claims to control 75% of Gaza. | Cogat, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, denied the letter’s claims, adding without evidence that aid groups were being used as cover by Hamas to “exploit the aid to strengthen its military capabilities and consolidate its control”, despite the fact that Israel already claims to control 75% of Gaza. |
| The aid groups stressed on Thursday that most of them had not been able to deliver “a single truck” of life-saving assistance since Israel implemented a blockade in March. | The aid groups stressed on Thursday that most of them had not been able to deliver “a single truck” of life-saving assistance since Israel implemented a blockade in March. |
| The vast majority of aid is not reaching civilians in Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been killed, most of the population has been displaced and famine is taking hold. UN agencies and a small number of aid groups have resumed delivering assistance, but say the number of trucks allowed in remains far from sufficient. | The vast majority of aid is not reaching civilians in Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been killed, most of the population has been displaced and famine is taking hold. UN agencies and a small number of aid groups have resumed delivering assistance, but say the number of trucks allowed in remains far from sufficient. |
| The letter was published as Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, backed plans for a major settlement development outside Jerusalem, which he said would represent the “final nail in the coffin” of Palestinian ambitions for their own state. | The letter was published as Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, backed plans for a major settlement development outside Jerusalem, which he said would represent the “final nail in the coffin” of Palestinian ambitions for their own state. |
| The E1 settlement plan for more than 3,000 housing units – which critics, including much of the international community, say would split the West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem – is highly likely to be approved by a planning body next week. But it still remains uncertain whether the plan, which has been frozen for more than five years, will advance, given the likely international fallout. | The E1 settlement plan for more than 3,000 housing units – which critics, including much of the international community, say would split the West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem – is highly likely to be approved by a planning body next week. But it still remains uncertain whether the plan, which has been frozen for more than five years, will advance, given the likely international fallout. |
| While his support for the plan was announced by Smotrich at a press conference on Thursday, it remains uncertain how much backing it has from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as does the attitude of Donald Trump’s White House. | While his support for the plan was announced by Smotrich at a press conference on Thursday, it remains uncertain how much backing it has from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as does the attitude of Donald Trump’s White House. |
| Smotrich’s comments come after many countries said they would recognise a Palestinian state in September. | Smotrich’s comments come after many countries said they would recognise a Palestinian state in September. |
| “This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise,” said Smotrich, whose extremist party has experienced a collapse in support. | “This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise,” said Smotrich, whose extremist party has experienced a collapse in support. |
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