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, promoting campaigns against Israel, or calling for boycotts.

The Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory warned that the new system fundamentally jeopardises the operations of INGOs in Gaza and the West Bank.

They highlighted that these organisations support the majority of Gaza's healthcare services, and any operational closure could lead to one in three health facilities shutting down.

Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières have confirmed their commitment to continue providing vital support, emphasizing their dedicated local staff and critical role in the ongoing humanitarian efforts.

An Israeli official claimed that NGOs had sufficient time to comply with the new regulations and emphasized that humanitarian aid would continue unaffected.

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