Over 100 NGOs denounce 'militarization' of aid and new Israeli legislation preventing them from intervening

A new Israeli law regulating foreign NGOs has been increasingly used to deny their requests to provide aid in the Gaza Strip, according to a letter signed by more than 100 NGOs published Thursday.

These organizations are calling for an end to this "militarization" of aid by Israel and denounce an "obstruction [by Israel] that has left millions of dollars of food, medicine, water, and shelter items blocked in warehouses in Jordan and Egypt, while Palestinians are starving," the NGOs lamented.

"Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring essential goods [to Gaza,] claiming that these organizations are 'not authorized to provide aid'," the joint statement said.

"Despite statements by Israeli authorities that there is no limit to the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, most major international NGOs have not been able to deliver a single truck of vital supplies since March 2," the letter accused.

According to the letter, whose signatories include Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders,) at least 60 aid requests for Gaza were rejected in July alone.

In March, the Israeli government approved a new set of rules for foreign non-governmental organizations working with Palestinians. This law updates the framework governing how aid groups must register to maintain their status in Israel, as well as provisions that specify how their requests can be denied or their registration revoked.

Registration can be refused if Israeli authorities believe a group denies Israel's democratic character or "promotes delegitimization campaigns" against the country.

"Unfortunately, many aid organizations serve as a cover for hostile and sometimes violent activities," Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli told AFP. "Organizations that have no links to hostile or violent activities and no connection to the boycott movement will be granted permission to operate," added Chikli, whose ministry is implementing these directives.

Aid 'blocked'

The NGOs say, however, that these new rules are leaving Gazans without aid. "Our mandate is to save lives, but due to registration-related restrictions, civilians are left without the food, medicine, and protection they desperately need," said Jolien Veldwijk, director of the charity Care in the Palestinian territories.

Israel has long accused Hamas of diverting aid entering the Gaza Strip, and since May, the government has relied on the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to manage food distribution centers.

While thousands of Gazans crowd into these centers every day, these operations often take place in chaos and under Israeli fire. At least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since May 27, most by Israeli fire, "while they were seeking food," the U.N. reported at the end of July.