European Union foreign ministers and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs have jointly called on Israel to reconsider its recently introduced NGO law, warning that it threatens vital humanitarian work in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. The law, critics argue, could force international aid workers to leave as early as next month, leaving a critical gap in life-saving assistance.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also cautioned that the law requires NGOs to provide sensitive personal information on Palestinian staff or face closure, effectively barring unregistered organizations from sending aid into Gaza. Humanitarian groups warn that many international partners could lose their registration by September 9, forcing withdrawal of foreign staff and halting essential operations.

Aid organizations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, have condemned the regulations, describing them as a tool to tighten Israeli control over independent humanitarian operations and further entrench its occupation. The EU’s statement emphasised that such measures risk deepening the humanitarian crisis and undermining international law obligations to protect civilians.