#CeasefireNow coalition
PHILADELPHIA (January 28, 2025) – A new survey of 35 aid agencies working in Gaza found that Israel failed to improve humanitarian access over the last year. This finding comes despite a ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanding immediate action to protect Palestinians in Gaza from acts of genocide and risk of irreparable harm to their rights. Access the full report here.
The survey, conducted among NGOs including Oxfam, American Friends Service Committee, Islamic Relief, Médecins du Monde, ActionAid and the Norwegian Refugee Council reveals how Israel systematically denied and restricted aid, supplies, and services both into and within Gaza since the ICJ ruling on 26 January 2024. The survey of NGOs was conducted January 2 to 4, 2025. It found that up until the commencement of the temporary ceasefire:
- 89% of those completing the survey said that Israeli actions regarding the provision of aid had worsened since the ICJ’s ruling.
- 93% said the humanitarian situation for the people receiving their aid and services had deteriorated.
- 100% of surveyed agencies importing humanitarian supplies into Gaza said the Israeli procedures for aid entry were either ineffective, had systematically impeded the humanitarian response, or were insufficient to meet the huge needs.
- 95% of agencies who imported aid supplies inside the Gaza Strip said they regularly encountered delays, with some reporting delays of more than two months.
- Agencies reported essential items like personal protective equipment (PPE), tarpaulins, winterization supplies, mobile kitchens, hygiene kits, food and educational materials being denied due to the “dual use” procedure – because Israel deemed there was potential for them to be utilised for military use.
Oxfam’s Policy Lead, Bushra Khalidi, said: “Given the volume of aid now entering Gaza, it is clear how much Israel has been obstructing the humanitarian response for the last 15 months. As the survey shows, Israel completely failed to improve humanitarian conditions, in disregard of international law, while systematically preventing life-saving aid from getting in. It is vital to assess past failures, even amid a ceasefire. Without accountability and a commitment to protecting humanitarian operations, we risk repeating the same cycles of impunity and neglect, leaving millions without hope of a better future.”
The survey is part of a humanitarian access snapshot, produced by NGOs, which examines Israel’s compliance with the ICJ measure regarding the provision of humanitarian assistance. It found that the provision of essentials like food, water, fuel, shelter and sanitation in Gaza fell well below the minimum required to sustain life for Palestinians in Gaza, that Israeli policies and actions resulted in the dismantlement of the humanitarian architecture and operational environment in the Gaza Strip.
“In fifteen months, Israel unleashed a wave of death and destruction, forcibly displacing almost the entire Palestinian population in Gaza and reducing to ashes any possible source of life,” said Hanady Muhiar, Palestine/Israel Country Representative for the American Friends Service Committee. “The international community must abide by its obligations under international law and ensure that the cease-fire becomes permanent, so Palestinians in Gaza have access to everything they need to survive without conditions and rebuild their lives equally as every human being deserves.”
The survey revealed the extremely challenging conditions aid workers in Gaza have faced, with Israel conducting systematic attacks on basic services and humanitarian infrastructure and personnel:
- 94% of aid workers from the reporting organizations had been displaced at least once – many of them multiple times.
- 72% of aid agencies surveyed report that their premises were damaged due to air or ground attacks by Israeli forces at least once since 26 January 2024, with many organisations reporting multiple attacks. At least seven agencies’ offices in Gaza city were heavily damaged or destroyed as well as several NGO-run medical centres.
- 93% of aid agencies surveyed had to forcibly relocate their operations at least once since the ICJ ruling, mainly due to Israeli displacement orders and military offensives. Almost all have had to relocate multiple times.
The snapshot also highlights the failure of Third States to fully meet their obligations to prevent atrocity crimes, including the risk of genocide. It underscores that some states continue to supply weapons and support to the Government of Israel, while refraining from denouncing violations or taking meaningful action to prevent them.
The agencies are calling for continued, unhindered humanitarian access and for the international community to urgently address Israel’s ongoing violations of international law.
Riham Jafari, Communication and advocacy coordinator at ActionAid, Occupied Palestinian Territories, said: “It is essential that humanitarian access is not only immediate but sustained and unimpeded. The rights of Palestinians in Gaza must be protected from acts of genocide, and Israel must be held to account for its continued violations of international law. Without meaningful accountability, the suffering will only deepen, and the path to justice and peace will remain blocked.”
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.