Israel takes steps to shut down international aid groups in Gaza and the West Bank
Briefly

Israel takes steps to shut down international aid groups in Gaza and the West Bank
"Israel, having banned the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees from sending aid and staff to Gaza, is now taking unprecedented steps to de-register major nongovernmental aid groups for ideological reasons, according to several officials of humanitarian organizations. They say the new rules threaten the ability of some of the biggest international nongovernmental organizations known as INGOs to send in aid or staff to both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank."
"The Israeli military has claimed, without providing evidence, that its aid restrictions are needed for security. Israel this fall began requiring that all international aid groups re-register under new criteria, including approval by a committee which includes representatives from Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. Reasons for delisting aid groups include supporting "terrorist groups and activities in accordance with Israel law" and "inciting racism," according to COGAT, the Israeli military's arm"
Israel banned the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees from sending aid and staff to Gaza and is de-registering major international nongovernmental organizations for ideological reasons. New registration criteria and a committee approval process now determine which INGOs can operate in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, leaving many organizations in limbo after applications were rejected or not accepted. The ceasefire committed Israel to a surge in aid, but crossings remain severely restricted: only two of seven border points are open and many aid requests are routinely rejected without explanation. The military cites security and COGAT lists grounds for delisting, including support for terrorist groups and incitement of racism.
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