GENEVA, Dec. 31 — United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Wednesday said Israel’s suspension of numerous aid agencies from Gaza was “outrageous.”
In a statement, Turk said the move was the latest in a pattern of unlawful restrictions on humanitarian access by Israel, including its ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as attacks on Israeli and Palestinian non-governmental organizations amid broader access challenges faced by the UN and other humanitarian actors.
He urged States with influence to take urgent steps and insist that Israel immediately allow aid to enter Gaza unhindered, and reminded the Israeli authorities of their obligations under international law to ensure the provision of essential supplies for daily life in Gaza, including by allowing and facilitating humanitarian relief.
The Israeli government announced on Dec. 30 that it would suspend the activities of several international aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, in the Gaza Strip starting Jan. 1, 2026, citing the organizations’ failure to submit information on their Palestinian staff as required. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
