Israel to Terminate Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Operations in Gaza Over Staff List Dispute

Israel has announced it will terminate the humanitarian operations of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders, or MSF) in the Gaza Strip. The decision comes after the medical charity refused to comply with an Israeli order to hand over a list of its Palestinian and international staff working in the territory. Israeli authorities claim the measure is necessary for security, alleging some MSF staff have links to armed groups, which the charity vehemently denies.

MSF stated it could not provide the list without concrete assurances from Israel that the information would not be used in a way that puts its staff at risk. The organisation cited the deaths of 15 of its employees and over 1,700 healthcare workers in Gaza since the war began as the reason for its profound safety concerns. It called the move a "pretext to obstruct humanitarian assistance," forcing an impossible choice between staff safety and continuing critical medical care.

The impact of the ban is expected to be severe. MSF currently provides approximately 20% of hospital beds in Gaza, operates around 20 health centres, and last year conducted over 800,000 medical consultations and more than 10,000 infant deliveries. Its expulsion, set for February 28th, threatens to collapse essential services like emergency and maternal care.

This action against MSF is part of a broader Israeli policy affecting 37 international aid groups, whose operating licenses are set to be revoked in March for failing to meet new registration requirements. The policy has drawn condemnation from multiple countries and warnings from UN agencies about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of restricting aid access in Gaza.