The United Nations has issued a stark warning over the future of humanitarian assistance in Gaza after Israeli authorities announced measures that would halt the work of dozens of aid organisations operating in the territory. The decision, which affects 37 international and local organisations, comes amid an already catastrophic humanitarian situation following two years of a genocidal war that has left Gaza’s population struggling to survive.

Speaking through his spokesperson, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the planned suspension, urging Israeli authorities to reverse the decision immediately. The organisations targeted play a central role in delivering life-saving assistance, and their removal, the UN warned, could dismantle what little progress has been achieved during the fragile ceasefire. Humanitarian access, already severely restricted, risks collapsing entirely.

The UN further cautioned that this latest move compounds a series of existing obstacles that have slowed or blocked the entry of food, medical supplies, hygiene materials, and emergency shelter into Gaza. With crossings largely closed and reconstruction materials barred, conditions for more than two million people continue to deteriorate. Any further restrictions, UN officials said, would sharply intensify the suffering of a population already pushed to the brink.

Israeli authorities have claimed that the affected organisations failed to meet new administrative requirements related to the disclosure of information about Palestinian staff, setting a deadline for compliance before enforcing the ban. Several major humanitarian actors have rejected the allegations outright, warning that newly imposed registration procedures are opaque, burdensome, and designed to obstruct humanitarian work rather than regulate it.

Medical organisations working in Gaza have sounded the alarm over the impact of these measures on emergency care. Despite the ceasefire announced in recent months, access points remain largely sealed, preventing the entry of temporary housing and reconstruction equipment. As a result, displacement, disease, and exposure continue unabated, while reports indicate that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, underscoring the ongoing human cost of the genocidal war.