Israel-Aid Group Dispute Over Gaza Operations

Dozens of international aid groups, including Médecins Sans Frontières and the Norwegian Refugee Council, have petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to continue their operations in Gaza and the Palestine===West Bank. This comes after Israel ordered 37 organizations to cease work within 60 days unless they comply with new rules, including providing employee details. The aid groups argue that sharing staff information poses a safety risk, especially given the hundreds of aid workers killed or injured in Gaza. Israel maintains that the registrations are to prevent aid diversion by Palestinian armed groups, a claim disputed by aid agencies. The legal petition seeks an urgent suspension of the decision, warning of devastating humanitarian consequences if these groups, which provide specialized services like field hospitals, are forced to shut down. A U.N.-led coordination body has also warned that remaining operational bodies could only meet a fraction of the required humanitarian response in the devastated Palestine===Gaza Strip.