The Diaspora Affairs Ministry on Sunday accused Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) of employing individuals affiliated with terrorist organizations in Gaza and the West Bank, and announced the aid group would halt operations in the Gaza Strip after refusing to share the names of its Palestinian staff.
“In light of the refusal, the organization will cease operations and exit the Gaza Strip,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that alternative medical aid was being arranged “to ensure continuity of humanitarian assistance for Gaza residents.”
The ministry said the demand for names was in accordance with official procedures that apply to all international humanitarian organizations operating in the region. The requirement, officials said, is meant to prevent the misuse of humanitarian cover for terrorist activity.
Doctors Without Borders, a France-based NGO founded over 50 years ago, has operated in global conflict zones including Israel and the Palestinian territories. The group cited safety concerns as the reason for withholding the names, warning that disclosing the information could endanger its workers. It also pointed to the high death toll among aid workers during Israel’s war in Gaza.
In response, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry said employee lists are not shared with external parties and are for internal use only.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said the group had previously agreed to comply but reversed its position abruptly. “Doctors Without Borders lacks transparency and is driven by biased interests,” Chikli said. “This is a critical security requirement, based on evidence that aid workers have also acted as terrorist operatives.”