Israel to bar 37 aid groups as UK and EU warn of severe impact in Gaza

I read about this. What is happening in Gaza is just awful.

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No, it's not worse, we should never, ever, compare in my opinion.

Its enough to "tell it like it is", but I do agree, it is "death by a thousand cuts"

I have been watching, listening and reading about Israeli activities in Gaza and the West Bank since the so called ceasefire.

What the Palestinians are suffering is truly dreadful.

I no longer have any interest in debating this subject as the pariah state of Israel is beyond saving. I feel so sorry for the Jewish folk both in Israel and the rest of the world, whose faith in their homeland has been so shattered.

I am glad to read that the UK has been one of the countries to respond rapidly and condemn the actions.

One of Trumps boasts in his annual speech was having "sorted the war". what grandiose rubbish.

Meanwhile - let look at the whole picture - UK, Canada and Germany condemn Israel for 19 new West Bank settlements

"Fourteen countries, also including France, Italy, Ireland and Spain, say actions ‘violate international law and risk fuelling instability"

more in
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/24/israel-condemned-approval-19-settlements-occupied-west-bank

It's clear that they are going for an Israel "from the river to the Sea

We rightly condemned some anti Israeli current regime groups for demanding this!

And should be shouting as loudly against increasing West Bank Settlements.

That has kept me silent WWM too as the weight is so dreadful to contemplate. but I felt, on the first day of 2026, we cannot forget, even tho there are no easy solutions to hand.

inch by inch...by excruciating inch he's killing them all and the world sits by and lets it happen.

I have not forgotten Gaza and still feel concern for the people. It doesn't surprise me how brutal the Israeli government is as their aim has always been to 'cleanse' Gaza of Palestinians.

To me - it's a world of difference in mindset going on there. I think maybe Netanyahu thinks "As I'm making their life so unbearable then maybe they will decide to cut their suffering short themselves on an individual basis - eg just walk out into their sea and not stop walking" (to put it as gently as one can put such a thought). Some would do that...and just decide "I'm not going to put up with being treated so appallingly any longer..." and that would be that in some countries/with some ways of thinking.

But I see no evidence that the Palestinians would think along those lines individually. Instead they're there holding that mass wedding ceremony the other day, holding a mass graduation for new doctors on another day and trying to "live their lives" as far as they can. If Netanyahu thinks they'll think in what is probably a more Western way of "I'm going to get myself outa this personally - even if that's how I have to do it (ie the sea)" then I think he's probably very mistaken.

So - nope....the Palestinians are not going to oblige and start thinking in an individualistic Western "What can I best do for me personally? Decide not to put up with this any longer......." sorta way and he's very mistaken if that's how he is thinking/what he is hoping for.

It's not my way of thinking to stay put regardless - and I'm probably way more "individualistic" in my way of thinking than many Western people even (that would be betting on a certainty in my case...) - but my estimate is that it is their way of thinking and they will carry right on trying to "have a life" whatever Netanyahu does and he'll never understand them...and so will carry right on in there with his "Night (or decades) of the Long Knife" attacks on them.

I don't think Netanyahu can see that he's actually more likely to kill off his own people - as there are a noticeable number of them packing their bags and leaving Palestine currently.

We still have peaceful demonstrations every Friday locally in the town centre. (Placards and quiet) I wish I were well enough to go but I know a lot of people feel as we do here.
I do not feel that criticising the current regime is anti-semitic, as has often been suggested: it's a matter for decent people to try and do their best. I'm going to have another round of emailing MP's. I was going to "up" my donations to Medicin Sans Frontiers but if the ban goes ahead will need to look elsewhere.

Well of course 2026 is going to bring new elections in Israel, but they could hold off until October.

It has always been claimed here by a majority that Netanyahu started war in Gaza to avoid election,

Let’s get a bit of truth into this matter…. The organisations banned by Israel at the moment represent only about 1% of charitable donations into Gaza, the other charities who have complied with Israeli requests about their staff are all able to carry on as usual.

The groups banned by Israel

Action Against Hunger
ActionAid
Alianza por la Solidaridad
Campaign for the Children of Palestine
CARE
DanChurchAid
Danish Refugee Council
Handicap International: Humanity & Inclusion
Japan International Volunteer Center
Medecins du Monde France
Medecins du Monde Switzerland
Medecins Sans Frontieres Belgium
Medecins Sans Frontieres France
Medecins Sans Frontieres Netherlands
Medecins Sans Frontieres Spain
Medicos del Mundo
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Refugee Council
Oxfam Novib (Oxfam’s Dutch affiliate)
Premiere Urgence Internationale
Terre des hommes Lausanne
International Rescue Committee
WeWorld-GVC
World Vision International
Relief International
Fondazione AVSI
Movement for Peace-MPDL
American Friends Service Committee
Medico International
Palestine Solidarity Association in Sweden
Defense for Children International
Medical Aid for Palestinians UK
Caritas Internationalis
Caritas Jerusalem
Near East Council of Churches
Oxfam Quebec
War Child Holland

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the UK, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland said INGOs were integral to the humanitarian response in Gaza and that any attempt to stem their ability to operate was "unacceptable".
"Without them, it will be impossible to meet all urgent needs at the scale required," they warned.

Yes Whitewavemark2 it’s 37 groups as said above, 37 groups who refuse to comply with Israel on its staff.Given the situation I completely understand why Israel wants to know as the Palestinian arm of the charity ( UNRA) had members who not only supported hamas but actually took part in the murderous spree on October 7th.)
Other charities have complied with Israeli requests and they are the majority of charities operating in that area.

Certainly I know of several organisations on that list Whitewave - ie that they are very reputable ones.

It may well be that Netanyahu is "playing ducks and drakes" re elections.....who knew Prime Ministers could/would do a thing like that (ie considering our own current one is doing exactly that.....).

Oreo as Whitewavemark2 has supplied a long list of relief organisations that are banned by Israel, perhaps you could name at least some of the other 98% of organisations that are allowed to supply aid.

I would also be interested to know what Israel requests that the banned organisations are unable or unwilling to comply with.

You will have to look for yourselves as to which organisations are operating in Gaza, I simply read that the 37 are around 1% of what’s going into the country.
Israel need to know the nationality of staff I expect, and many charities have complied with this already.

What Israel is doing, breaks international law.

But when did such a pariah state care, especially with mad Trump supporting the Israeli state/Netanyahu/money making opportunities.

So many read and quote Trump, why feed the need

Absolutely disgraceful, disgusting and inhumane!

In my humble opinion Netanyahu is a war criminal.

I think of Gaza and Ukraine often, terrible disasters caused solely by the evil of mankind, Hammas, Putin and Netanyahu, 🙏🙏🙏 for and end to these wars and all others.

There’s enough natural disasters without those created by greedy evil humans?

Whitewavemark2

I have been watching, listening and reading about Israeli activities in Gaza and the West Bank since the so called ceasefire.

What the Palestinians are suffering is truly dreadful.

I no longer have any interest in debating this subject as the pariah state of Israel is beyond saving. I feel so sorry for the Jewish folk both in Israel and the rest of the world, whose faith in their homeland has been so shattered.

🙏 👏👏👏👏👏

Those banned organisations provide a lot more than just adding to the volume of aid. They provide technical assistance