Geneva, Jan. 4 (SANA) Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that it may be forced to suspend its operations in the Gaza Strip by March if Israel does not reverse its decision to ban the organization’s work, along with that of 36 other international humanitarian groups.
The president of MSF in France, Dr. Isabelle Defourny, said at a press conference that the organization’s registration to operate in the occupied Palestinian territories expired on December 31. She noted that the re-registration process began in July 2025, but no response has been received so far.
“We still have 60 days during which we can operate without re-registration, but if this decision remains in place, we will be forced to suspend our activities in March,” Defourny said.
MSF currently operates in Gaza with around 40 international staff members and 800 Palestinian employees, providing services across eight hospitals.
Defourny said the organization is the second-largest distributor of water in the Gaza Strip and has provided medical care to more than 100,000 injured people in 2025. She added that MSF is also the second-largest provider of childbirth assistance in the territory.
She said Israeli sanctions target organizations that document violence carried out by the Israeli occupation army in Gaza, noting that more than 500 humanitarian workers, including 15 MSF staff members, have been killed since October 2023.
Last Thursday, Israeli occupation authorities confirmed that they had barred 37 major international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip, a move MSF described as a “blatant interference” in humanitarian work.
