Israel has banned the activities of the humanitarian medical organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the Gaza Strip and has ordered the organization to leave the enclave by February 28, reports Anadolu.

Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which oversees relations with humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza and the West Bank, said the decision was made after MSF refused to hand over to Tel Aviv its staff lists.

In a statement from the ministry, quoted by Maariv newspaper, it is said that MSF has refused “to hand over lists of local employees, a requirement that applies to all humanitarian organizations operating in the region”.

The ministry claimed that the measure aims to “enable legitimate aid activities, preventing the use of humanitarian cover for hostile or terrorist purposes”.

“According to us, these lists of employees are not shared with external parties and used only for internal purposes,” the statement said.

On Friday, MSF announced it would not share a list of its Palestinian and international staff with Israel, due to Tel Aviv’s refusal to provide “guarantees ensuring the protection of our staff or the independent management of our operations.”

MSF is one of the largest humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, and the ban on its activities is expected to cause severe damage to services. medical facilities now confined to the enclave.

Israel’s 2-year war in Gaza has killed at least 71,800 Palestinians and injured more than 171,400 others. The attacks have destroyed about 90 percent of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, while UN estimates put the cost of reconstruction at about $70 billion.

Source: prizrenpost