A SENIOR United Nations official has condemned Israel's plan to prevent 37 aid agencies from operating in Gaza, describing it as the 'latest in a pattern of unlawful restrictions on humanitarian access'.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, was responding to Israel's decision to revoke licences to organisations that fail to provide details about their Palestinian employees before the end of the year.
Among the notable agencies set to be hit by the move are ActionAid, World Vision International and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Divisions of major charities such as Medecins Sans Frontieres, Oxfam and Caritas are also set to see their licences revoked come Thursday, after which affected agencies must cease operations within 60 days.
'Outrageous'
Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted to say that seeking the information on organisations' Palestinian employees was 'aimed at preventing the involvement of terrorist elements and at safeguarding the integrity of humanitarian activity'.
He added that 'the overall scope of humanitarian aid (approximately 99 per cent) is not affected by this measure', a claim Mr Türk appeared to dispute, saying it would 'make an already intolerable situation even worse’.
"Israel's suspension of numerous aid agencies from Gaza is outrageous," he said.
"This is the latest in a pattern of unlawful restrictions on humanitarian access, including Israel's ban on UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East), as well as attacks on Israeli and Palestinian NGOs amid broader access issues faced by the UN and other humanitarians.
"I urge all States, in particular those with influence, to take urgent steps and insist that Israel immediately allows aid to get into Gaza unhindered.
"Such arbitrary suspensions make an already intolerable situation even worse for the people of Gaza.
"I remind the Israeli authorities of their obligation under international law to ensure the essential supplies of daily life in Gaza, including by allowing and facilitating humanitarian relief."
'Impediments'
In a joint statement with the foreign ministers of nine other countries, Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed 'serious concerns' about the impact on the provision of aid in Gaza.
"Whilst the amount of aid going into Gaza has increased since the ceasefire, the response remains severely constrained by persistent impediments on humanitarian access," read the statement.
It called on the Israeli Government to ensure that international NGOs are able to operate in Gaza; ensure the UN and its partners can continue their work; lift unreasonable restrictions on imports considered to have a dual use; and open crossings and boost the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"We now urge the Government of Israel to remove these humanitarian access constraints and to deliver and honour the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict," added the statement.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the joint statement 'ignores the significant improvement in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect, an improvement achieved through Israel's extensive efforts, together with the United States, and despite Hamas' relentless attempts to divert humanitarian aid for terrorist purposes at the expense of the civilian population'.
According to UNRWA, 360 Palestinians have been killed and 922 injured since the ceasefire came into effect in late October, while Mr Türk's office said it had documented more than 350 Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began.
The UN's aid agency UNICEF has said that more than 1.9m people are displaced in Gaza, sheltering in worn-out tents or makeshift shelters amid prolonged rains, strong winds and freezing temperatures.
It added that the situation is compounded by the limited shelter supplies entering the region.
