INGO Registration in Palestine: Interim Injunction Delays Deregistration of 37 Organizations
On 27 February 2026, the Supreme Court of Israel, sitting as the High Court of Justice, issued an interim injunction temporarily freezing enforcement measures that would have required dozens of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to cease operations in Palestine.
The petition was filed by a coalition of approximately 17 international aid organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Oxfam, CARE, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, acting through the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA).
The order does not constitute a final ruling on the legality INGO registration in Palestine. It pauses enforcement while the Court considers a petition filed by affected aid organizations challenging the updated regulatory requirements and their application. For now, the practical outcome is straightforward that organizations may continue operating pending further judicial review.
What Was About to Happen: The March 1 Shutdown Timeline
Public reporting indicates the following sequence of events:
- March 2025: Israel introduced and began implementing a new re-registration system for international NGOs operating in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, imposing conditions such as submission of detailed staff information, including personal data on Palestinian employees. The measures follow the adoption of Israeli Government Resolution No. 2542 (December 2024), which introduced expanded registration and oversight requirements for international organizations operating in the Palestinian territories.
- 30 December 2025: Around 37 international organizations were formally notified that their current Israeli registrations would expire on 31 December 2025 and were given a 60-day period after expiry within which they were expected to wind down operations if they did not comply with the updated requirements.
- 1 January 2026: As of this date, the government treated many of these registrations or permits as expired and unenforceable for those NGOs that had not met the new requirements.
- 1 March 2026: The date widely reported by NGOs and rights groups as the effective cutoff by which organizations faced being unable to operate or required to cease activities if they had not complied with the new rules and had their registrations renewed.
- 27 February 2026: Just days before the threatened shutdown, the Supreme Court of Israel issued a temporary injunction halting enforcement of these closure measures, allowing the NGOs to continue working “for now” while their petition is considered.
The Broader Regulatory Context
The 2025 registration changes form part of a wider tightening of oversight mechanisms governing operation and INGO registration in Palestine.
The Israeli registration framework applies to foreign organizations seeking to operate in areas under Israeli control and to coordinate activities in Gaza, and operates alongside separate Palestinian Authority registration requirements applicable to West Bank operations.
Publicly available guidance and reporting indicate that the revised framework includes:
- Disclosure of identifying information for foreign and Palestinian staff
- Submission of financial documentation, including donor information and banking records
- Reporting on contractors and suppliers
- Ongoing compliance and periodic reporting obligations
Separate procedural guidance issued in 2025 by the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) outlines detailed coordination requirements for humanitarian operations in Gaza, including personnel lists and financial reporting. That procedure operates alongside formal registration requirements administered through other channels.
Affected NGOs and international rights organizations have argued that certain disclosure requirements, particularly the submission of identifying information relating to Palestinian employees, raise safety, privacy, and operational concerns. In their petition, several NGOs reportedly argued that the disclosure requirements may undermine humanitarian neutrality and independence principles under international humanitarian law.
The Interim Order Matters Buys Time, But Not Certainty
From a legal perspective, the order preserves the status quo. It prevents immediate disruption to humanitarian and development programming in Gaza and the West Bank while judicial review proceeds.
However, interim relief is not a merits ruling. The registration framework itself remains in force. Its ultimate scope and application remain subject to the Court’s determination. For INGOs, this means operational continuity in the short term, but ongoing regulatory exposure. Registration status is also linked to visa issuance, entry permits, and movement coordination for foreign personnel, increasing the practical operational consequences of deregistration beyond administrative compliance.
The episode illustrates that foreign NGO registration in the OPT has shifted from a largely administrative renewal exercise to a high-scrutiny compliance process involving personnel disclosure, financial transparency, and security screening.
Implications for Prospective INGOs
The order, while temporarily “stabilizes” operations, underscores a broader shift signaling that the regulatory environment governing international organizations in Palestine has become materially more complex. Therefore, prospective INGOs should:
- Factor in dual-track regulatory exposure (Israeli and Palestinian Authority frameworks)
- Prepare enhanced documentation at the outset
- Structure local representation and governance arrangements carefully
- Anticipate recurring reporting and data requests
Organizations should also consider how registration status may affect representations made to institutional donors, multilateral agencies, and funding partners, particularly in relation to compliance certifications and due diligence disclosures under the revised framework.
What Remains Uncertain
Several issues remain unresolved pending the Court’s final determination:
- Whether the High Court will uphold, narrow, or invalidate aspects of the revised registration framework
- Whether enforcement mechanisms will be revised
- Whether Gaza-specific coordination procedures will evolve independently of broader NGO registration rules
- Whether additional organizations beyond the initial 37 may face similar enforcement actions
Until a final ruling is issued, INGOs operate within a provisional and evolving compliance landscape.
Conclusion
The 27 February 2026 interim injunction by the Supreme Court of Israel temporarily prevents an immediate operational disruption for dozens of international organizations working in the West Bank and Gaza. However, the underlying regulatory framework remains in place and under judicial review.
For humanitarian and development actors in Palestine, this moment represents a short window of operational continuity, not regulatory resolution. Organizations operating, or intending to operate, in Palestine should use this interim period to reassess registration posture, governance documentation, signatory authority, and disclosure practices in light of the evolving regulatory environment.
Kurdi & Co. advises international organizations on registration, governance structuring, employment documentation, and regulatory interface within the Palestinian legal context. For further guidance, reach out to our legal counsel.
This Article was researched and written on March 2nd, 2026 by Kurdi Law.
