UN chief Guterres calls on Israel to reverse NGO ban in Gaza, West Bank

Guterres says pending ban targets groups ‘indispensable to life-saving’ work, undermines ceasefire progress.

A Palestinian man waits at the entrance of the medical clinic run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Khan Younis, Gaza [File: Ramadan Abed/Reuters]

Jan. 3, 2026 - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel to reverse a pending ban on 37 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

In a statement on Friday, Guterres called the work of the groups “indispensable to life-saving humanitarian work”, according to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. He added that the “suspension risks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire”.

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