Israel bans MSF from Gaza after medical charity refuses to hand over staff list

Israel has banned the international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) from operating across Gaza and other Israeli-occupied territories after the organization refused to hand over a list of its staff due to a lack of assurances from the Tel Aviv regime.

In a statement released on Sunday, Israel's foreign ministry accused MSF of having "something to hide" for declining to provide the information.

It added that the charity had committed in early January to sharing staff lists as part of a registration process required by Israeli authorities.

"Despite its public commitment, the organization refrained from transferring the lists," the ministry said.

MSF earlier said it would exceptionally share a defined list of Palestinian and international staff names in order to avoid suspending operations from March 1, 2026.

However, the medical charity said on Friday it was unable to secure basic assurances regarding the use and protection of that information.

"Despite repeated efforts, it became evident that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required," MSF said.

The organization added that it sought guarantees that staff details would be used only for administrative purposes and would not place employees at risk.

MSF said those assurances were not provided and that it therefore "concluded that we will not share staff information in the current circumstances."

MSF's initial decision to comply with the Israeli measures sparked controversy within the medical community.

World-renowned British-Palestinian Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah has warned that the charity was further endangering the lives of its staff by agreeing to comply with the order.

Abu Sittah warned that staff members face the same coercion as Palestinians forced to risk death at aid distribution points across Gaza.

He further warned that the move endangers not only employees but their families, while Israel continues to weaponize the same tired terror narratives against humanitarian work.

Abu Sittah said accepting assurances from an occupying regime that has already killed 562 aid workers further implicates MSF.

He also sharply rejected the notion of meaningful consent under such conditions, saying, “the moral bankruptcy lies in the implication that during genocide Palestinians are capable of giving free consent.”

MSF has already vehemently rejected allegations from the Israeli regime claiming its staff members are linked to Palestinian resistance groups, labeling the accusations as baseless and unsupported by evidence.

The organization recently cautioned that such accusations not only jeopardize the safety of medical teams but also risk depriving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians of critical healthcare as Gaza's health system faces collapse.

Currently, MSF is awaiting the renewal of its registration to operate in Gaza and the occupied West Bank through December 31, 2025, under new Israeli rules mandating staff name disclosures.

 US halts visas for wounded Palestinian children, sparking humanitarian outcry

Humanitarian organizations have slammed the decision to stop all visitor visas for Palestinians arriving for urgent medical treatment from Gaza.

Israel's move comes amid growing restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating in the blockaded Palestinian territory.

Israeli authorities have already announced plans to bar 37 aid groups, including MSF, from operating in Gaza as of March 1, citing their failure to submit detailed information about Palestinian staff members.

Human rights groups have warned that such measures further undermine humanitarian access in Gaza, where Israel's ongoing military offensive has devastated healthcare infrastructure and left the population increasingly dependent on international aid.

A two-year Israeli genocidal war has killed nearly 71,800 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,480 others.

The genocidal war has destroyed roughly 90% of the civilian infrastructure in the coastal territory, with UN estimates placing reconstruction costs at about $70 billion.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir