Israeli Registration Rules Push HI & Other Aid Groups Out of Gaza

GAZA, PALESTINE — As of March 1, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), along with 36 other international organizations, is now forced to operate solely under the authorization delivered by the Palestinian authorities. 

If HI is forced to withdraw from the region, it would create a critical gap, depriving affected communities of more than 40 years of HI’s expertise in disability inclusion, landmine clearance, rehabilitation, and physical recovery, fields in which the organization is globally recognized. The prevalence of disability in the Gaza Strip has increased sharply due to the war. Since October 2023, nearly 5,000 amputations have been documented. It’s also estimated that an average of 15 children per day lost one or both legs during the war. 

Israeli authorities have conditioned HI’s registration on arbitrary vetting criteria, including expanded disclosure requirements for staff information, funding sources, and partnerships, thereby undermining the principles of neutrality and independence essential to humanitarian action. 

HI spokespersons are available for interviews upon request. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will be happy to arrange them accordingly. Below are quotes from HI’s leadership and updated figures on HI’s activities in Palestine.

Florence Daunis, HI’s Director of International Programs, explains, “For over 40 years, Humanity & Inclusion has operated globally with a strict commitment to independence and impartiality. This ban sets a dangerous precedent for international aid, transforming the application of humanitarian principles into a tool for political exclusion.” She resumes, “We cannot comply with demands that undermine the safety of our staff and the integrity of our mission. To withdraw our expertise in landmine clearance and physical recovery now, amidst such profound suffering, is a catastrophic and avoidable blow to human dignity." 

Hannah Guedenet, HI-US Executive Director, says, “If we are forced to withdraw on March 1, the impact will be felt most acutely by the thousands of children and persons with disabilities in Gaza and the West Bank who rely on us for crutches, wheelchairs, mobility aids, and rehabilitation they cannot find elsewhere.” She adds, “Our teams provide specialized, life-saving landmine clearance and explosive ordnance risk education, services that very few organizations are equipped to deliver in such a high-risk environment. In a context where infrastructure is devastated, and needs are overwhelming, this support is not easily replaced.” 

Key Figures:

• In 2025, HI supported more than 1,000 children with and without disabilities through activities in 10 temporary learning spaces and distributed 17,601 relief items. These included 2,000 hygiene kits, over 400 assistive devices (such as crutches and wheelchairs), 7,000 diapers for babies and adults, and more than 7,000 additional hygiene items.
• In the north of the West Bank, HI provided more than 2,500 children with approximately 2,000 remedial and catch-up classes, conducted over 2,000 rehabilitation sessions, distributed dozens of assistive devices (including wheelchairs, hearing aids, and crutches), and delivered nearly 8,000 explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) sessions.
• HI also delivered a total of 10,000 rehabilitation follow-up sessions. 
• More than 3,000 people received mental health follow-up support. 

HI has been working in Gaza since 1996. Today, local teams are providing rehabilitation care, mental health services, and education on the risks posed by explosive ordnance.

Spokespersons are available for interview upon request.