Israeli agency refutes claims made by Doctors Without Borders

The Israeli agency COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories: Judea and Samaria and towards the Gaza Strip) released a statement of clarification regarding the registration of international organisations that send aid to Gaza and their non-compliance with Israeli registration requirements, following allegations made by Doctors Without Borders (DWB).

COGAT stated that DWB failed to cooperate with the registration process and refused to provide Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs with a list of its employees, as required by a government decision.

“The organisation’s attempts to attribute to itself a central impact on the medical response in the Gaza Strip are inconsistent with reality and are not supported by data. In practice, out of approximately 220 primary care clinics and medical points operating throughout the Gaza Strip, the organisation operates only five,” said COGAT.

COGAT explained that organisations that received notice regarding the suspension of their activities in Gaza did not bring aid into Gaza throughout the current ceasefire, and even in the past, their combined contribution amounted to only about 1% of the total aid volume. Accordingly, the implementation of the government decision will not result in any future harm to the volume of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip.

The registration process, emphasised COGAT, is intended to prevent the exploitation of aid by Hamas, which in the past operated under the cover of certain international aid organisations, knowingly or unknowingly.

“Instead of launching false campaigns and attempting to intimidate the international arena regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, organisations seeking to operate in Gaza should complete the registration process, operate transparently, and ensure that aid reaches the civilian population and not Hamas,” said COGAT.

The organisations that received notice regarding the suspension of their activities in the Gaza Strip did not bring humanitarian aid into Gaza during the current ceasefire, and historically, their combined contribution amounted to approximately 1% of total aid entering Gaza. As a result, the decision will not impact the overall volume of humanitarian assistance.

Humanitarian aid continues to enter Gaza on an ongoing basis. Approximately 4,200 aid trucks enter every week via the UN, donor countries, the private sector, and more than 20 international organisations that have completed the registration process and continue to operate lawfully.

Israel routinely facilitates the entry and rotation of international humanitarian teams into Gaza, subject to standard security screening. Hundreds of international personnel are currently operating in Gaza, most of them affiliated with the UN and the ICRC. Claims suggesting that the humanitarian system depends on specific organisations are not supported by the facts on the ground.

The registration process is intended to prevent the exploitation of humanitarian aid by Hamas, including the diversion of aid, misuse of local employees, and terror-linked funding. Organisations that choose not to cooperate with transparency and oversight requirements raise genuine concerns regarding the nature of their activities.

Israel remains committed to strengthening Gaza’s healthcare system in cooperation with approved international partners and ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches civilians — not Hamas.

Israel’s embassy in Wellington stated: “The organisations that received notice regarding the suspension of their activities in the Gaza Strip did not bring humanitarian aid into Gaza during the current ceasefire, and historically their combined contribution amounted to approximately 1% of total aid entering Gaza. As a result, the decision will not impact the overall volume of humanitarian assistance.

Humanitarian aid continues to enter Gaza on an ongoing basis. Approximately 4,200 aid trucks enter every week via the UN, donor countries, the private sector, and more than 20 international organisations that have completed the registration process and continue to operate lawfully.

Israel routinely facilitates the entry and rotation of international humanitarian teams into Gaza, subject to standard security screening. Hundreds of international personnel are currently operating in Gaza, most of them affiliated with the UN and the ICRC. The facts on the ground do not support claims suggesting that the humanitarian system depends on specific organisations.

The registration process is intended to prevent the exploitation of humanitarian aid by Hamas, including the diversion of aid, misuse of local employees, and terror-linked funding. Organisations that choose not to cooperate with transparency and oversight requirements raise genuine concerns regarding the nature of their activities.

Israel remains committed to strengthening Gaza’s healthcare system in cooperation with approved international partners and ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches civilians — not Hamas.

TPS-IL/JWire