Aid workers providing humanitarian support to Gaza face deportation as Israel stops renewing visas

War-hit Gaza may face disruption in getting food and other vital supplies as Israel has stopped renewing visas and work permits for international staff of humanitarian organisations who provide vital support for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza following the October 7 attacks.

A number of foreign aid workers as well as heads of international organisations will now have to leave Israel and the Palestinian territories.

A report by The Guardian quoted Faris Arouri, director of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), saying emergency response teams, who have the specialist experience to deal with the host of challenges of working in Gaza, are majorly affected.

AIDA is an umbrella group whose members include Oxfam, Action Against Hunger, Amnesty International, Care International and Catholic Relief Services.

Foreign aid workers will have to leave by autumn

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Having visas is mandatory to enter Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, but the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs is no longer issuing new ones after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

The ministry back then said the state of emergency affected its work and all humanitarian visas were automatically extended till 8 February 2024. When the exemption expired, the ministry told foreign aid organisations that it had stopped issuing letters and the visa process was being discussed by “various government authorities”.

All foreign humanitarian workers will have to leave by early autumn if Israel does not start issuing visas again.

UK govt asked to pressure Israel for action

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The issue was raised in UK parliament on Tuesday by Britain’s shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, who called on the UK government to pressure Israel for action.

“Humanitarian visas must be renewed now. With no humanitarian visa renewals since the outbreak of this war, [Israel is] leaving humanitarian workers facing deportation when the Palestinian people need them most," Lammy said.

Visa freeze unprecedented

Calling Israel’s move to freeze visas “unprecedented,” Arouri said: “Instead of advocating to enter Gaza, we are being forced to advocate just to let staff come to Jerusalem."

“There have always been ups and downs, especially since the second intifada [from 2000 to 2005]. There were phases where there were some restrictions or where access was harder. But never on this scale," Arouri added.

UN aid workers affected too

The visa clampdown by Israel has also affected UN aid workers with staff given only short-term access to Israel and Gaza.

“Visas for most international staff, including those in Gaza, have been limited to one or two months,” UNRWA chief, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a letter to the president of the UN general assembly listing logistical challenges.

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine, has not been granted permits by the Israeli authorities to deliver aid to northern Gaza for more than a month and said at the weekend it could no longer function there.

Who issues visas for Israel?

A report by Time, cited Gil Horev, a ministry spokesman, saying till now, Israel’s Welfare Ministry played a key role in recommendations for such visas but said it doesn’t feel equipped to do the requisite background checks and hence, has urged the Prime Minister’s Office to designate a different agency.

The Prime Minister’s office has asked the National Security Council to find out the best way to go forward which may take some time.

With inputs from agencies