The UN and other aid agencies fear new Israeli registration rules for dozens of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) risk the collapse of the humanitarian response in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
INGOs not registered by 31 December face closure of their operations in Israel within 60 days, which the agencies say could severely disrupt healthcare and other life-saving services in Gaza.
Save the Children said its application had not been approved and it was 'pursuing all available avenues to have this decision reconsidered'.
Israel's ministry of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism said the departure of 'rogue organisations' would not affect the delivery of aid.
Fourteen out of approximately 100 applications have so far been rejected, while 21 have been approved, and others are under review.
The registration system introduced in March includes grounds for rejection that have raised concerns about political biases, such as denying Israel's existence as a Jewish state and supporting armed struggle against it.
The Humanitarian Country Team of the occupied Palestinian territory warned that the system fundamentally jeopardises INGOs' operations, relying on vague and politicised criteria that humanitarian organisations cannot comply with without violating international obligations.
One-third of health facilities in Gaza could close if INGOs are forced to stop operations, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Save the Children confirmed it has been informed of the rejection of its registration, while MSF, which supports several public hospitals, calls for the continuation of impartial humanitarian aid.
Israeli officials argue that adequate time has been provided for compliance and that humanitarian aid will continue uninterrupted, despite fears of a potential collapse in services.
