Foreign Ministers, EU Urge Israel to Halt Restrictions on International NGOs Working on Palestinian Issues

Riyadh, August 11, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – A group of foreign ministers, joined by the High Representative of the European Union, have called on Israel to reverse measures targeting international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on Palestinian issues, warning that the restrictions could severely disrupt humanitarian operations.

In a joint statement issued over the weekend, ministers from Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the European Union voiced concern over Israel’s newly introduced registration system for international humanitarian organisations.

The statement warned that the new system could result in NGO staff being forced to leave Israel by next month, widening the gap in critical aid to Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories. “Their exclusion would be an egregious signal,” the statement said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) last week also raised alarm, noting that Israel is requiring NGOs to share sensitive personal information about their Palestinian employees or face the termination of their operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

“Unless urgent action is taken, humanitarian organisations warn that most international NGO partners could be de-registered by 9 September or sooner — forcing them to withdraw all international staff,” OCHA said. It added that NGOs not registered under the new system are already prohibited from sending supplies to Gaza.

The requirement is one of several new restrictions on international NGOs. In May, dozens of aid organisations also voiced opposition to the regulations.