Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) has firmly rejected allegations by Israeli authorities that members of its staff are linked to Palestinian resistance groups, describing the claims as baseless and made without evidence.

The international medical organization warned that the accusations endanger humanitarian workers and risk depriving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians of essential healthcare at a time when Gaza’s health system is on the brink of collapse.

In a statement released on Thursday, MSF said the Israeli allegations appear to be part of an effort to force the organization into re-registering under new and unclear Israeli regulations. These new rules require NGOs to disclose the names of their staff and have raised serious concerns among humanitarian groups operating in Gaza and the West Bank.

MSF noted that it is still awaiting the renewal of its registration to continue operations through December 31, 2025. Despite months of engagement and communication with Israeli authorities, the organization said it has not received clear criteria, transparent procedures, or assurances regarding the approval process. On December 30, Israeli authorities publicly alleged that MSF staff had links to armed groups, accusations MSF says were made without verified evidence.

The organization stressed that it takes such claims “extremely seriously,” emphasizing that it would never knowingly employ anyone involved in military activity. MSF strongly criticized the public nature of the accusations, warning that unsubstantiated claims place humanitarian workers at grave risk and undermine life-saving medical operations.

“These kinds of allegations, made without proof, endanger our teams and threaten the continuation of critical medical services,” MSF said, adding that the current reality in Gaza demands an expansion of healthcare services, not their restriction.

According to MSF, the Palestinian health system has been devastated by sustained attacks, with hospitals, clinics, and vital infrastructure destroyed. Families are struggling to meet even the most basic needs, while medical facilities face chronic shortages of supplies, staff, and safe operating conditions.

MSF highlighted the scale of its work in Gaza, noting that it currently supports one in every five hospital beds and assists with one-third of all births in the territory. In 2025 alone, the organization provided approximately 800,000 outpatient consultations, treated more than 100,000 people with critical injuries, performed 22,700 surgeries, assisted in over 10,000 births, and distributed nearly 700 million liters of water.

The organization warned that losing access to Gaza and the West Bank—alongside other international NGOs—would leave hundreds of thousands of Palestinians without basic healthcare, with potentially catastrophic consequences.

MSF also rejected claims that it failed to comply with Israel’s registration requirements. The organization said it has been fully engaged in the process since July 2025 and has already submitted most of the requested information, while continuing to seek dialogue to ensure it can maintain essential medical services.

In an earlier statement issued on December 22, 2025, MSF cautioned that Israel’s new NGO registration rules could result in mass disruption of humanitarian aid by 2026. The potential revocation of NGO registrations starting January 1 would, MSF warned, block the continuation of vital healthcare services in both Gaza and the West Bank.

As Gaza’s healthcare system continues to deteriorate, MSF reiterated that the urgent priority must be safeguarding humanitarian access and protecting medical workers, rather than imposing measures that further deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis. (ILKHA)