Caritas Jerusalem has clarified its legal standing and operational mandate following Israel’s decision to suspend dozens of humanitarian organizations working in Gaza.
Jan 02, 2026
Palestinians stand outisde makeshift shelters in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on December 31, 2025. The United Nations rights chief described on December 31 Israel’s threat to suspend dozens of aid groups from operating in Gaza from January as “outrageous”, calling on states to urgently insist Israel shift course. (Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP)
JERUSALEM: Israel announced it would suspend permits for more than three dozen aid organizations starting Jan. 1, 2026, citing their alleged failure to comply with new requirements, including the disclosure of detailed information about Palestinian staff members, funding, and operations.
The move has drawn international criticism amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.
In a statement, Caritas Jerusalem said it is not subject to Israel’s re-registration process, stressing that it operates as an ecclesiastical entity formally recognized by the Israeli state.
“Caritas Jerusalem is a humanitarian and development organization operating under the umbrella and governance of the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land,” said Farid Jubran, Adv., spokesperson of the humanitarian arm of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem.
“In Israel, Caritas Jerusalem is an Ecclesiastical Legal Person, whose status and mission have been recognized by the State of Israel through the 1993 Fundamental Agreement and the subsequent 1997 Legal Personality Agreement signed between the Holy See and the State of Israel,” he added.
The organization underscored that it “has not undertaken any re-registration process with the Israeli authorities,” and clarified that “Caritas Internationalis does not implement or conduct any direct interventions within the country.”
Despite the tightening restrictions, Caritas Jerusalem said it would continue its work across Palestinian territories.
The Israeli Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said the measures were intended to “strengthen and update” oversight of international nongovernmental organizations operating in Gaza.
Among the 37 organizations or their divisions facing suspension are major international humanitarian agencies, including Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), Oxfam affiliates, the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE, World Vision International, the International Rescue Committee, Medical Aid for Palestinians UK, Defense for Children International, Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Jerusalem, the Near East Council of Churches, and several European-based medical and relief groups.
These organizations provide critical services such as healthcare, food distribution, shelter, water and sanitation, education, and psychosocial support in Gaza, where humanitarian needs have sharply intensified after months of sustained conflict and infrastructure destruction.
According to Al Jazeera, a coalition of foreign ministers from countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan, and Nordic states urged Israel to allow nongovernmental organizations to operate in a “sustained and predictable” manner, warning that deregistration could severely disrupt access to essential services, including healthcare.–licas.news