RAMALLAH, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Wednesday rejected an Israeli decision to revoke the permits of 37 international humanitarian and relief organizations operating in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
In a press statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly rejected the justifications provided by Israeli authorities for the ban, stressing that these organizations deliver vital humanitarian, health, and environmental assistance to Palestinians.
The ministry reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and emphasized that the State of Palestine welcomes the work of nationally and internationally recognized organizations, especially those operating in accordance with established humanitarian standards.
It described Israel's actions to halt the work of these organizations as "piracy and thuggery" and a clear violation of international laws and norms, stressing that no party has the right to suspend their services or obstruct their operations.
Israel "does not want any witnesses to its crimes" and is seeking to prevent institutions that support the Palestinian people and impede its "colonial project" aimed at destroying Palestinian life -- particularly organizations working in vital sectors such as children protection, health, education, water, refugee services, and other humanitarian fields central to the Palestinian cause, the statement added.
The ministry called on the international community and the United Nations to reject the Israeli measures and to take punitive steps to confront these practices, especially restrictions imposed on humanitarian organizations, the shrinking space for freedoms in Palestine, and the undermining of civil society and its national and international institutions.
It also urged the international community to take "deterrent measures" against Israel for what it described as crimes and grave violations of international law and human rights.
Dalal Salameh, a member of the Central Committee of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), said the Israeli decision aims to "undermine the lives of the Palestinian people and cripple their ability to recover from the war of extermination and displacement that Israel has been waging for decades."
Israel announced Tuesday that the licenses of 37 international nonprofits operating in Gaza and the West Bank will expire on Jan. 1, 2026, claiming the groups did not comply with its new registration requirements. ■
