In first, Israeli aid groups appeal gov’t for easier restrictions on int’l aid entry into Gaza
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories denied all the claims made in the report, saying that Israel allows and facilitates the entry of aid while Hamas exploits it.
The government’s new requirements for international aid organizations have severely hampered their efforts to get resources into Gaza, and several Israeli international aid groups have appealed to the government to facilitate aid shipments on Monday.
This marks the first time Israeli emergency relief groups made such an appeal, which the Gaza Humanitarian Forum launched. This umbrella organization includes IsraAid, EcoPeace Middle East, SID-Israel, NATAN, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Mitvim think tank.
The organization encompasses a team of experts and Israeli civil society groups that coalesce essential and comprehensive information on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and propose short- and long-term solutions.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) denied all the claims made in the report.COGAT is the Defense Ministry’s military unit responsible for civilian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Israel acts to allow and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while the terrorist organization Hamas seeks to exploit the aid to strengthen its military capabilities and consolidate its control over the population,” COGAT said.
In turn, the Gaza Humanitarian Forum said, “In order to ensure effective, productive cooperation between the security forces and the humanitarian organizations, alternate protocols must be instituted to meet the humanitarian needs without compromising security.”
It suggested a new framework of a declarative commitment and approval for recognized international groups, shortening the request times to 72 hours for the organization to be cleared as legitimate, and improving digital services.
Up until the war, operational registration for international humanitarian organizations in order to issue visas and manage logistical and technical affairs was done through the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry.
The forum noted that for years, the ministry has avoided registering international organizations – as opposed to Israeli ones – due to a “lack of familiarity” with the global arena, and in a demand that the matter be resolved in other ways.
It added that this challenged efforts by COGAT to secure fresh international groups, allies of Israel, who could help get more aid into Gaza.
The issue was solved by a government decision from December 2024 that organized the registration process. Then, this past March, the government publicized a ministerial circular, a document of instructions and policy.
It dictated new directives, headed by Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, which carried across several ministries. The new directives included the requirement to register even those organizations that already receive operational approval.
To make this less cumbersome, the forum said, the ministerial circular grants a grace period of six months, terminating on September 9, during which some relaxation of restrictions is allowed.
COGAT said that the defense establishment created a new mechanism for aid entry “designed to ensure that aid reaches the population directly and not Hamas.”
It added that organizations must now undergo a formal registration with the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, “which includes submitting a list of the organization’s employees operating in Gaza for prior security screening.”
Moreover, “The registration process is based on clear professional and security criteria intended to safeguard the integrity of the humanitarian system while preventing the infiltration of terrorist elements into the aid mechanism. This is a transparent and clear process that was presented to all organizations in advance,” COGAT said.
The Gaza Humanitarian Forum found that in July, aid from over 29 organizations was denied entry, based on the claim that they did not have comprehensive approval.
As of Monday, 20 organizations had submitted a request for registration and were awaiting approval by Israel.
Per COGAT, in July, 74,452 tons of aid transported in 3,827 trucks entered the enclave through land crossings.
Remarking on the forum’s data, COGAT said, “The refusal of some international organizations to provide the information and cooperate with the registration process raises serious concerns about their true intentions and the possibility of ties between the organization or its employees and Hamas.”
It added that around 20 international organizations that complied with the updated regulations and completed the new registration process are operating regularly.
The government’s changes specifically concern registration, whereby the organization is required to provide information that the groups describe as personal and sensitive about staff members.
Organizations warned of a “fierce” hit to the ability to provide aid to Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.
The need for aid in Gaza
The Israel-Hamas War, which was triggered by Hamas’s cross-border massacre attack on October 7, has destroyed much of the livable space in Gaza.International pressure rained down on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government over the last few weeks as footage and photos of starvation in Gaza emerged.
Israel has since increased the aid that makes its way into the enclave via land crossings, as well as pallets that are airdropped in cooperation with several other states.
According to the forum, the new directives contradict international ethical standards on humanitarian aid, are not legally, morally, or operationally sound, and can harm the aid efforts.
“The past few months showed that aid efforts cannot rely solely on the American-sponsored Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and that more organizations have to be looped in,” said the forum.
It added that although it welcomed the registration process, this should extend to groups that are not registered yet, as well as to those that had registered in the past.
If this is not achieved, it went on to say, the damage will be twofold: Israel’s image will suffer, as its legitimacy in the international arena will be questioned, and the aid response efforts in the enclave will be undermined.
“This is a primary Israeli interest,” the forum said.
COGAT responded by saying that “the alleged delay in aid entry, as claimed by the organizations who signed the statement, occurs only when organizations choose not to meet the basic security requirements intended to prevent Hamas’s involvement.”
“Instead of opposing the process and issuing public statements, we call on all international organizations wishing to bring aid into the Gaza Strip – especially those who signed the statement – to act with transparency, complete the registration forms, and ensure that the emergency relief reaches the residents – not Hamas.”