The organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) will stop operating in Gaza on February 28th for not having handed over to Israel the list of its workers, the Ministry of Diaspora and Fight against Anti-Semitism announced this Sunday, February 1st.
“Humanitarian aid, yes. Blindness in matters of security, no. Unfortunately, MSF once again demonstrates a lack of transparency and acts driven by irrelevant interests”, said the minister of the ministry, Amichai Chikli, in the statement.
The ministry, which registers organizations working in the occupied Palestinian territories, accuses the NGO of “abruptly” changing its position regarding the demand to hand over the lists of its workers in the Gaza Strip, something that these organizations reject, fearing for the safety of their employees.
MSF announced on Friday that, after repeated attempts, it was unable to reach an agreement with the Israeli authorities about aspects that he considered necessary, such as that “any information about staff would only be used for the indicated administrative purposes and would not put staff at risk”.
For this reason and “in the face of such uncertainty”, the organization decided not to share the list of its Palestinian and international personnel with Israel.
Among the disagreements, the organization also highlighted that it was unable to obtain a guarantee that MSF would maintain authority in matters of human resources and the management of humanitarian medical supplies.
“In accordance with regulations, MSF will cease its operations and exit the Gaza Strip by 28 February 2026,” stated the Ministry of Diaspora and the Fight against Anti-Semitism, which said it was “carrying out assessments” to provide alternative medical solutions after leaving the organization.
The ministry led by Chikli accuses MSF of “substantially and continuously” violating registration processes, stating that they are designed to “prevent the misuse of humanitarian coverage for hostile activities and terrorism”.
Israel has also linked humanitarian activities in Gaza to terrorism in the case of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), whose members in Gaza are accused of belonging to Hamas.
However, According to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the alleged links between this organization and the Islamist group or its lack of neutrality have not been proven.
The ministry ensures that employee lists “are not shared with third parties and are used solely for internal purposes”.
At least 579 humanitarian workers have been murdered in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its offensive on October 7, 2023, in reprisal for the attack by the enclave’s militias on its territory that claimed the lives of around 1,200 people.
Of the total deaths, 380 were men and 189 women, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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