Eduardo González
The Spanish government condemned on Monday, February 2, the decision by Israeli authorities to impose a halt to the activities of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which are “essential to alleviate the dramatic health situation of the Gazan population in the Gaza Strip.”
In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Spanish government emphasizes that international humanitarian NGOs, especially those in the health sector like MSF, “provide irreplaceable assistance in life-saving services in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“The work of MSF in Gaza, as well as that of all humanitarian organizations in the health sector, is essential to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Strip, providing vital assistance to the Palestinian population in Gaza subjected to unbearable violence,” the statement continues.
For all these reasons, the Government of Spain urges Israel to “reverse this decision, which seriously undermines the most basic moral principles, and reminds it of its obligation to comply with international humanitarian law and its international obligations to reduce suffering and uphold the dignity of all human beings.”
In March 2025, Israeli authorities announced that organizations wishing to register would have to provide personal information about their staff. From the outset, MSF expressed its deep concern about this requirement, “in a context where medical and humanitarian workers have been intimidated, arbitrarily detained, and attacked,” the NGO stated in a press release. “Since October 2023, 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed, as well as 15 MSF colleagues,” it added.
On December 30, Israeli authorities announced that MSF’s previous registration had expired and that it was therefore expected to cease operations within 60 days. Finally, last Friday, January 30, MSF warned in a statement that, “after many months of fruitless talks with the Israeli authorities, and given the uncertainty regarding the safety of our staff and the independent management of our operations,” it had decided that, “under the current circumstances, it will not share its Palestinian and international staff list with the Israeli authorities.”
“If MSF were expelled from Gaza and the West Bank, the consequences would be devastating, as Palestinians face a brutal winter amid destroyed homes and urgent humanitarian needs,” the NGO asserted.
“Living conditions remain dire: nearly 500 people have died since October, basic services such as food, water, shelter, healthcare, fuel, and livelihoods have been largely destroyed, and the healthcare system is virtually non-functional, with hardly any specialized services, such as burn care,” it warned. “In 2025, MSF carried out 800,000 consultations, assisted one in three births and provided support to one in five hospital beds, services that cannot be easily replaced,” he said.