Israel to expel Doctors Without Borders from Gaza

Israel announced on Sunday it would bar the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders from operating in the Gaza Strip after the group refused to hand over a list of its Palestinian staff.

In a statement, the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said it was “moving to terminate the activities” of the aid group in Gaza, citing its “failure” to submit lists of local employees, which Israel has demanded from international organizations operating in Gaza and the West Bank under regulations that came into force in early January.

Under the new registration requirements, the ministry said, Doctors Without Borders must “cease its operations and depart the Gaza Strip” by Feb. 28.

Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli repeated allegations that the group employs individuals “active in terrorist organizations,” which the organization has rejected.

The move followed an announcement by Doctors Without Borders on Friday that it would not comply with the staff list requirement. “This decision comes after many months of unsuccessful engagement with Israeli authorities and in the absence of assurances of the safety of our staff and the independent management of our operations,” the group said in a post on social media platform X.

Doctors Without Borders, relying heavily on Palestinian staff, has been a key provider of emergency medical care in Gaza throughout the conflict, operating hospitals, clinics and mobile medical teams amid repeated Israeli military operations.

The dispute comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza following more than two years of Israeli bombardment and ground operations, which have devastated much of the enclave’s infrastructure and crippled its health system. At least 71,769 people were killed by Israeli fire and 171,483 others were injured, Gaza-based health authorities said Saturday.

- Agencies