24/02/2026 (Agence Europe) – Faced with an order to cease their activities in Gaza and the West Bank by the end of the month, 37 NGOs, including 17 international ones, have filed a petition with Israel’s High Court, according to a press release published on Tuesday 24 February. These organisations are contesting the new registration rules imposed by Israel, which include the transfer of lists of names and personal details of their local employees. The petitioners denounce a legal impasse, since complying with this request would violate European data protection laws (GDPR) and the principle of humanitarian neutrality, while exposing their staff to security risks. However, they are opposed to stopping operations, which would threaten the distribution of more than half of the food aid to Gaza. The petition therefore seeks an immediate injunction to suspend the expiry of the NGOs’ registrations, citing Israel’s obligations as the occupying power to facilitate civil relief under international law. (JM)