More than 100 international organizations released a statement on Thursday alleging that Israel has obstructed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip for months during the ongoing war, with most failing to deliver assistance since March.
The groups claim Israel rejected dozens of aid requests, labeling them “not authorized,” leaving millions of dollars’ worth of food, medicine, water and emergency supplies stranded in warehouses in Jordan, Egypt and Ashdod while Palestinians allegedly face starvation.
The organizations attribute the blockages to a new registration process introduced in March, which requires submitting lists of Palestinian staff for security vetting. They argue these demands are illegal, endanger staff safety, undermine their independence and aim to restrict humanitarian operations.
“The process was designed to control independent organizations, silence advocacy, and censor humanitarian reporting,” a representative from one group said. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT)—a Defense Ministry unit that manages civilian and security coordination with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza—countered the claims, asserting the opposite is true.
“Israel works to enable and facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza, while the terrorist organization Hamas exploits it to bolster its military strength and control the population, sometimes with the unwitting or knowing support of some international aid groups,” COGAT told global media.
The agency explained that a new security mechanism, developed under political guidance before resuming aid, ensures assistance reaches civilians, not Hamas.
This includes a mandatory registration process with the Diaspora Ministry, requiring staff lists for preemptive security checks based on clear professional and security criteria to prevent terrorist infiltration. “This is a transparent process, presented to all organizations in advance,” COGAT added.
COGAT further noted that delays cited by the signatories occur only when groups refuse to meet security conditions designed to exclude Hamas. “Instead of opposing the process and issuing statements, we urge all international organizations—especially those who signed the document—to act transparently, complete registration and ensure aid reaches residents, not Hamas,” the agency said.
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On Tuesday, the IDF reported killing five armed terrorists near a vehicle marked with the logo of the international aid group World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza, despite no affiliation with the organization. The terrorists, posing a threat to soldiers, were eliminated in a targeted airstrike last week in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza after deliberately attaching WCK’s symbol and wearing yellow vests to mask their activities.
COGAT representatives confirmed the details with WCK, which verified the vehicle had no connection to its operations. “This cynical use of aid symbols undermines trust and endangers our work,” WCK said in a statement, highlighting the misuse of humanitarian emblems in war zones.