Gaza: Aid Groups Halt Work as Israel Demands Staff Lists, Raising Fears for Palestinians
At the Doctors Without Borders water plant tent in central Gaza, Craig Kenzie carefully watches the machine he helped put together roar with life.
After two years of war and limited access to water, this machine built mostly using scrap parts now provides tens of thousands of litres of clean water for the community.
While the Vancouverite has been in Gaza since mid-December working as a project co-ordinator building a water treatment plant, Kenzie worries now about who will oversee what his group has done to help Palestinians as he and foreign workers for other aid organizations find themselves leaving the territory.
Doctors without Borders (MSF) and 36 other international non-governmental organizations (INGO) will cease operations in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
The INGOs were asked to provide lists of their local and foreign staff. Many refused, citing the protection of the safety and security of the staff. Their visas to work in Gaza have expired.
“We’re highly concerned about the consequences for the Gazan population […] when over half the international humanitarian organizations will get expelled from the Gaza Strip,” Kenzie told CBC’s freelance videographer Mohamed ElSaife.
“These new restrictions are more than we’ve ever had to deal with and bring up immense concerns for the safety and security of our staff.”
Kenzie, who was among the last to leave Gaza Thursday, said MSF’s activities are “an essential part of the Gazan health-care system.”
“We have yet to be able to find someone who can take over the 1,500 staff that we have, the 2,200 consultations we do a day and the four and a half million litres of water that we produce and distribute on a daily basis.”
Relying on local staff
MSF said in release Thursday that it would rely on local staff and their registration with the Palestinian Authority to try to keep any programs running.
Christopher Lockyear, MSF’s secretary seneral, said without foreign staff and foreign journalists on the ground in Gaza, much of the reality of what Palestinians in the Strip face will go untold.
“Reducing NGO access risks removing yet another layer of witnesses to the ongoing violence and its enduring impacts on people,” he wrote.
Since the beginning of the ceasefire in October, 600 trucks were to be allowed into the Gaza strip on a daily basis.
An analysis by The Associated Press, however, found that aid delivery was “falling short” of what was promised during negotiations of the ceasefire.
In a report by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs posted last week, it said that between Feb. 12 and 19, the UN co-ordinated 67 humanitarian missions with Israel inside Gaza. Of them, “nine were denied outright, 42 were facilitated and nine were approved but faced impediments.”
Kenzie said the new restrictions are “beyond what we can accept.”
“We already vet our staff to make sure they’re not part of any armed group […] this additional layer to submit all those names is beyond what is acceptable especially with 1,700 medical staff that have been killed in this conflict so far.”
On Friday, Israel’s Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction that would allow the INGOs to continue most of their activities while it considers their petition.
Aid groups welcomed the court’s ruling in favour of the urgent request from 19 humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam.
“Although this news is positive, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critical and we don’t yet know what effect this ruling will have,” Oxfam’s policy lead, Bushra Khalidi, said in a statement.
The organizations say the fear is that handing over sensitive information of staff may lead them to be more easily targeted by strikes.
➡️Organizations that refused to complete the registration process were formally notified to cease operations by February 28, 2026.
➡️Contrary to the campaign being waged against Israel and attempts to create a false impression of harm to the humanitarian effort in the Gaza…
In a post to X, the Co-ordination of Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli Defence Ministry unit responsible for implementing government policy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, pushed back against claims that INGOs were making regarding their departure.
In the post, COGAT said their findings from the ground in Gaza show a “significant, stable and continuous flow of aid.”
It goes on to say that between 600 and 800 aid trucks enter Gaza daily and “more than 20 international organizations operate lawfully and in full co-ordination with Israel.”
It said INGOs’ aid contributions “accounted for only one per cent of the total aid entering the Strip.”
Regarding the staff lists, the post said that the request is “a basic and transparent requirement intended to prevent the exploitation of the aid mechanism by Hamas.”
Alexandra Saieh, head of humanitarian policy and advocacy for Save the Children, said the move is part of a “systematic prevention” by Israel to allow INGOs to deliver needed services.
“The restrictions that are being imposed by the Israeli authorities are unprecedented,” she told CBC News. “We have our own processes to safeguard and protect and ensure that our aid work is independent, impartial and neutral.”
‘Eyes and ears for the world’
Saieh said that in the last two years, “more than 300 aid workers were killed.”
She says that providing staff lists would expose sensitive information and affect how staff on the ground could talk about what they’re seeing in Gaza.
“NGOs, humanitarian staff, aid workers, doctors, they’ve been the eyes and ears for the world…. And without those international witnesses, it’s going to impact the level of information that is shared with the public.
“So it’s valid that NGOs have concerns about sharing further details with the Israeli authorities when we’ve seen these sorts of patterns on the ground.”
Save the Children’s registration for visas for their foreign workers was denied by COGAT last year. Saieh said the organization has relied heavily on their local hires to support the work that needs to be done on the ground.
This week, 31 organizations had signed a petition to seek the injunction from Israel’s Supreme Court. The injunction — filed by 17 INGOs — went to a court hearing on Wednesday.
For Kenzie, though, the hearing came too late. He and his colleagues made their way out of Gaza on Thursday morning. He said he’s had difficulty seeing the “relative indifference” from the international community towards what’s taking place in Gaza.
“Being here as a Canadian, I really realize just how privileged we are in Canada,” he said.
“This communal punishment of the Gazan population is just something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand.”
ARTICOL CREAT:
A Vital Lifeline Threatened: Aid Groups Halt Gaza Operations as Canadian Volunteer Raises Alarm
The fragile humanitarian situation in Gaza is facing a new crisis as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and 36 other international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) prepare to cease operations this Sunday, February 29, 2026. The decision follows a dispute with Israel over new registration rules requiring the groups to provide comprehensive lists of their staff – both local and foreign. Among those preparing to depart is Craig Kenzie, a project co-ordinator from Vancouver who helped build a crucial water treatment plant in central Gaza, now fearing for its future and the communities it serves. The escalating tensions threaten to further restrict aid access to a population already grappling with the devastating consequences of ongoing conflict and limited access to basic necessities like clean water.
A Water Plant Built on Scraps, a Community’s Hope
Kenzie, who has been in Gaza since mid-December, has been instrumental in constructing a water treatment facility largely from salvaged materials. This plant now provides tens of thousands of litres of clean water daily to a community that has endured two years of war and severe water scarcity. “After two years of war and limited access to water, this machine built mostly using scrap parts now provides tens of thousands of litres of clean water for the community,” Kenzie explained, highlighting the immediate impact of the project. However, his relief at providing this essential service is now overshadowed by uncertainty about who will maintain and operate the plant once MSF departs.
The Dispute: Security Concerns vs. Staff Safety
The core of the dispute lies in Israel’s demand for detailed staff lists from the INGOs. Israeli officials state the measure is intended to prevent “exploitation of the aid mechanism by Hamas,” a claim echoed by the Co-ordination of Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT) in a post on X (formerly Twitter). COGAT asserts that their findings on the ground demonstrate a “significant, stable and continuous flow of aid,” with 600 to 800 trucks entering Gaza daily, and that INGO contributions represent only one percent of the total aid received. COGAT’s statement further argues that the staff list request is a “basic and transparent requirement.”
However, the INGOs vehemently oppose the request, arguing it compromises the safety and security of their staff. They fear the information could be used to target aid workers, particularly given the high number of medical personnel already killed in the conflict – over 300, according to Save the Children. MSF’s Secretary General, Christopher Lockyear, emphasized that the departure of foreign staff will remove crucial “eyes and ears for the world,” hindering the ability to document and report on the realities faced by Palestinians in Gaza. Alexandra Saieh, head of humanitarian policy and advocacy for Save the Children, described the restrictions as “unprecedented” and part of a “systematic prevention” of INGOs delivering needed services.
A Complex Humanitarian Landscape
The situation underscores the already complex challenges facing humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza. Even before the latest dispute, aid delivery was falling short of promised levels. Negotiations following the recent ceasefire stipulated that 600 trucks carrying aid should be allowed into Gaza daily, but reports from The Associated Press indicate this target was not consistently met. CBC News reported on these shortfalls in aid deliveries earlier this month. A report by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that between February 12 and 19, nine out of 67 coordinated humanitarian missions were outright denied access by Israel, while another nine faced impediments. The OCHA report details the ongoing obstacles to aid delivery.
The Court Ruling and Uncertain Future
On Friday, February 27, 2026, Israel’s Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction allowing the INGOs to continue most of their activities while it considers their petition. Aid groups have welcomed the ruling as a positive step, but acknowledge the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critical and the long-term impact of the decision is still unclear. Oxfam’s policy lead, Bushra Khalidi, stated that while the news is positive, “we don’t yet know what effect this ruling will have.”
MSF has indicated it will attempt to continue some programs by relying on its local staff, who are registered with the Palestinian Authority. However, Kenzie highlighted the immense scale of MSF’s operations – 1,500 staff, 2,200 daily consultations, and 4.5 million litres of water produced and distributed daily – and the difficulty of finding someone to grab over these responsibilities. The organization fears that the loss of foreign staff and independent observers will further obscure the realities on the ground.
Regional and Global Implications
The suspension of operations by these INGOs has broader implications beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It raises concerns about the transparency and accountability of aid delivery in conflict zones, and the potential for political interference in humanitarian work. The incident as well highlights the increasing challenges faced by aid organizations operating in politically sensitive environments, where security risks and bureaucratic obstacles are constantly evolving. The reduction in international presence could also exacerbate the information vacuum surrounding the conflict, making it more difficult to assess the true extent of the humanitarian needs and hold all parties accountable for their actions.
What Happens Next?
The immediate future hinges on the Israeli Supreme Court’s final decision regarding the INGOs’ petition. If the court upholds the requirement for staff lists, the organizations will likely be forced to leave Gaza, further diminishing the already limited humanitarian assistance available to the population. If the court sides with the INGOs, the situation could stabilize, but the underlying tensions and concerns about staff safety will remain. Regardless of the outcome, the incident underscores the urgent demand for a more sustainable and predictable framework for humanitarian access to Gaza, one that prioritizes the safety and security of aid workers while ensuring that essential assistance reaches those who need it most. Kenzie, reflecting on his experience, expressed a sense of frustration and disillusionment, stating, “Being here as a Canadian, I really realize just how privileged we are in Canada…This communal punishment of the Gazan population is just something I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to understand.”