The UN and other aid agencies fear new Israeli registration rules for dozens of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) risk the collapse of the humanitarian response in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
INGOs not registered by 31 December face closure of their operations in Israel within 60 days, which the agencies say could severely disrupt healthcare and other life-saving services in Gaza.
Save the Children said its application had not been approved and it was pursuing all available avenues to have this decision reconsidered.
Israel's ministry of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism said the departure of rogue organisations would not affect the delivery of aid.
Fourteen out of the approximately 100 applications have so far been rejected, 21 have been approved, and those remaining are still undergoing review, according to the ministry.
The registration system introduced in March includes several grounds for rejection, including denying the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and supporting an armed struggle against Israel.
The Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory warned that the system fundamentally jeopardises the operations of INGOs in Gaza and the West Bank, potentially leading to the closure of many health facilities. Medecins Sans Frontieres emphasized that the loss of access for experienced humanitarian organizations could prove disastrous for Palestinians.
In response to the growing concerns, Israeli officials assert that adequate time has been provided for registration and assert that humanitarian aid will continue uninterrupted.
