The Palestinian Human Rights Institution (WITNESS) has addressed an urgent human rights memorandum to the Permanent International Missions to the United Nations, warning of the grave repercussions of the Israeli occupation authorities' commencement of procedures to revoke the operating licenses of several humanitarian and international organizations operating in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
(WITNESS) explained in its memorandum that the Israeli government, through official bodies, has begun notifying more than ten international organizations of the decision to cancel their licenses effective January 1, 2026. These organizations are required to fully terminate their activities by March 1, 2026, under the pretext of non-compliance with new registration requirements unilaterally imposed by the occupation authorities.
(WITNESS) pointed out that these requirements include mandating organizations to provide full lists of their employees' names, particularly Palestinian staff, for what the occupation authorities term "security screening." This condition has been rejected by many organizations due to the serious risks it poses to the safety of personnel, the potential for prosecution and retaliation, and the fundamental compromise it represents to humanitarian principles—foremost among them neutrality, independence, and impartiality.
(WITNESS) emphasized that these measures constitute a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, which obligate the occupying power to facilitate the work of humanitarian organizations and ensure unhindered access to aid for the civilian population. The memorandum noted that the decision also represents an unlawful restriction on the right to humanitarian assistance and healthcare, especially in light of the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
(WITNESS) warned that employing administrative procedures as a tool to drain medical and humanitarian relief sources amounts to collective punishment against the civilian population. This comes within a broader context of Israeli policies aimed at undermining the international humanitarian system, including previous measures taken against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
At the conclusion of the memorandum, the Palestinian Human Rights Institution (WITNESS) called on international missions to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately rescind the license revocation decisions. It further demanded that the continued operation of humanitarian organizations be guaranteed without arbitrary conditions, alongside supporting efforts to provide international protection for humanitarian workers and affirming the illegality of politicizing humanitarian work or linking it to security or political considerations that contravene the rules of international law.
January 5, 2026
The Palestinian Human Rights Institution (WITNESS)