Oppose Israel's Suspension of Humanitarian Organizations in Gaza

I am writing to urge you to oppose continued U.S. support for Israeli policies that obstruct humanitarian aid to Gaza. On Tuesday, Israel suspended more than 30 humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CARE, representing approximately 15% of groups operating in Gaza. These suspensions take effect January 1, with offices in Israel and East Jerusalem closing by March 1. Israel's new registration rules require aid organizations to submit staff names and operational details, while imposing ideological requirements that disqualify groups supporting boycotts or international court cases against Israeli officials. Organizations refused to comply because Israel failed to confirm that collected data wouldn't be used for military or intelligence purposes. More than 500 aid workers have already been killed in Gaza during this war, and aid groups cannot in good conscience submit Palestinian staff lists when those individuals may be targeted. Athena Rayburn, executive director of AIDA, which represents over 100 organizations in Palestinian territories, stated that "agreeing for a party to the conflict to vet our staff, especially under the conditions of occupation, is a violation of humanitarian principles, specifically neutrality and independence." Organizations offered third-party vetting alternatives, but Israel refused dialogue. The humanitarian impact is severe. Doctors Without Borders alone supports around 20% of hospital beds and a third of births in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reported 71,266 Palestinians killed as of Monday. Despite Israel's claim that suspended organizations contribute less than 1% of aid, the Norwegian Refugee Council noted that "the needs in Gaza are enormous and yet we and dozens of other organizations are and will continue to be blocked from bringing in essential life-saving assistance." This follows Israel's January 2025 ban on UNRWA operations, after the U.S. halted funding in early 2024. I urge you to condition U.S. aid to Israel on allowing unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza and to restore funding for organizations providing critical assistance to Palestinian civilians.