Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has urged the Israeli government to lift restrictions on humanitarian aid access to Gaza.
On Tuesday, Israel announced that NGOs operating in Gaza must submit a list of their Palestinian employees by Wednesday or face a ban from operating in 2026. The measure aims to prevent individuals suspected of links to terrorism from involvement in the region’s activities.
Organisations refusing to provide employee details were notified that their licences would be revoked from 1 January, with operations required to cease by 1 March.
While Israel has not disclosed the exact number of NGOs affected, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was singled out for allegedly failing to comply. Israeli authorities accused MSF of employing two individuals connected to armed Palestinian groups.
Prévot condemned the decision in a social media post, stating humanitarian access should not be optional, conditional, or political.
🇮🇱🇵🇸 (EN/FR/NL) Humanitarian access is neither optional, nor conditional or political. After impeding the work of the United Nations, the Government of Israel’s restrictive new requirements now deregister international NGO’s.
The ICJ asserted Israel’s unconditional obligation… — Maxime PREVOT (@prevotmaxime) December 31, 2025
The minister criticised the Israeli government for imposing restrictive requirements on international NGOs, echoing concerns about earlier obstacles affecting UN operations.
He highlighted that humanitarian actors, such as the UNRWA and Belgium-funded NGOs, maintain high standards of transparency, impartiality, and independence.
Prévot urged Israel to collaborate in good faith with all humanitarian organisations based on clear and unbiased criteria to ensure effective aid delivery in Palestine.
The Foreign Minister's appeal was echoed by European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib on Wednesday.
"Israel’s plans to block INGOs in Gaza means blocking life-saving aid," she wrote on X. "The EU has been clear: the NGO registration law can not be implemented in its current form. All barriers to humanitarian access must be lifted."
Israel’s plans to block INGOs in Gaza means blocking life-saving aid.
The EU has been clear: the NGO registration law can not be implemented in its current form. All barriers to humanitarian access must be lifted. IHL leaves no room for doubt: aid must reach those in need. — Hadja Lahbib (@hadjalahbib) December 31, 2025
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This article was updated at 12.58pm.
