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Israel to block dozens of aid groups working in war-battered Gaza

Israel to block dozens of aid groups working in war-battered Gaza
By Stephen Quillen, Faisal Ali, Edna Mohamed and Farah Najjar
Published On 1 Jan 2026

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1 Jan 2026 - 22:55
 (22:55 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

This live page is now closed.

Stay up to date with our latest coverage of the war here.

Read our story on what Palestinians in Gaza think about the new year here.

And, you can always find all our coverage of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza here.

1 Jan 2026 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

This live page will be closing soon, but before we do, here are today’s top developments:

  • Israeli forces detained a Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, Wafa reported.
  • At least one person died and five others were wounded after a fire broke out in a tent sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Wafa reported.
  • A Palestinian child named Malak Rami Ghneim, who was living inside a tent for displaced people in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, froze to death due to the severe cold.
  • In central Gaza, Israeli shelling and machinegun fire were reported southeast of the Bureij refugee camp.
  • Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians could lose access to essential medical care as Israel’s revocation of licences for aid groups comes into effect.
  • Armed Israeli settlers destroyed two agricultural structures and chased Palestinian residents in separate incidents in the Hebron area in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa.
  • According to Israeli media, Israel is preparing to reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in both directions after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns from a visit to the United States.
1 Jan 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

Israel faces widespread condemnation as NGO ban comes into effect

By Al Jazeera Staff

Israel faces mounting global condemnation as a ban on dozens of international aid organisations working to provide life-saving assistance to Palestinians in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip has come into effect.

On Thursday, a group of 17 human rights and advocacy organisations in Israel condemned the prohibition, saying it “undermines principled humanitarian action, endangers staff and communities, and compromises effective aid delivery”.

“Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation to ensure adequate supplies to Palestinian civilians. Not only is it failing to fulfil that obligation, but it is also preventing others from filling the gap,” the groups said.

Israel has revoked the operating licences of 37 aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, for failing to comply with new government regulations.

Read more here.

1 Jan 2026 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Pro-Palestine activists storm office of Scottish weapons manufacturer

In Musselburgh, Scotland, unknown pro-Palestine activists stormed the headquarters of Bruntons Aero Products, a company specialising in manufacturing and exporting aircraft parts.

According to Scottish media, the targeted company collaborates with Leonardo, a global leader in manufacturing weapons and developing laser guidance systems for the F-35 aircraft, and supplies the Israeli army with various military equipment.

Al Jazeera verified the footage below of the activists smashing the facility using hammers and fire extinguishers, writing in red paint: “There is only one end to this” and “Abandon Leonardo”.

1 Jan 2026 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Israeli forces detain Red Crescent Society ambulance in Jenin

Israeli forces detained a Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, Wafa reported.

According to the group, Israeli forces detained one of its ambulances at the entrance to the Martyr Khalil Suleiman Governmental Hospital in Jenin, whilst it was transporting a patient.

1 Jan 2026 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

In case you’re just joining us

Let’s bring you up to speed.

  • One person has died, and five others were wounded after a fire broke out in a tent sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Wafa reported.
  • A Palestinian child named Malak Rami Ghneim, who was living inside a tent for displaced people in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, died due to the severe cold.
  • According to the Safa news agency, an Israeli Apache helicopter opened fire north of Rafah in southern Gaza, alongside gunfire from military vehicles in the area.
  • The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate announced that Israeli forces arrested 42 Palestinian journalists in 2025 as part of a “systematic campaign” to silence local media.
  • Nineteen Israeli human rights groups have condemned the government’s decision to cancel the operating licences of 37 international humanitarian groups operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
1 Jan 2026 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

Israeli attorney general tells court Ben-Gvir interfering in work of police

Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara told the country’s high court that she thinks PM Netanyahu should be made to explain why he continues to allow far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to continue his post in government.

“Minister Ben-Gvir is abusing his position to improperly influence the activities of the Israel Police in the most sensitive areas of law enforcement and investigations, violating fundamental democratic principles,” she said in a statement carried by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

According to her statement, since Ben-Gvir began his term, “the numerous manifestations of his improper interference in police work”, as well as other violations of the law and his disregard for court rulings, “paint a clear and severe picture of repeated violations of the principle of the independence of the police”.

According to Haaretz, this statement follows petitions early last month for Ben-Gvir’s dismissal.

1 Jan 2026 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli plans for Ibrahimi Mosque

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry says Israel’s decision to strip the Hebron municipality in the occupied West Bank of its powers at the Ibrahimi Mosque represents a dangerous escalation.

It condemned the decision to transfer the planning and building powers of the mosque from the Hebron municipality to Israeli authorities and the approval of the project to roof the mosque’s courtyard, in violation of international law and a transgression of the mosque’s legal and historical status.

The ministry stressed that Israel’s decision was to impose control and perpetuate the occupation of the mosque and ignore legitimate Palestinian rights.

It added that UNESCO listed the Old City of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque on the list of World Heritage in Danger, and reiterated that Israel’s decision was historically and legally invalid and had no legitimacy.

1 Jan 2026 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

Gaza’s new year begins with a struggle for survival and dignity

By Maram Humaid

Deir el-Balah and Nuseirat, Gaza Strip – In her tent made of fabric sheets with a roof covered in white plastic tarp, Sanaa Issa tries to steal a quiet moment with her daughters.

Sanaa spoke to Al Jazeera as the new year approached, and with a ceasefire officially in place in Gaza. But, lying on a wet blanket in a tent with rain pouring down, Sanaa doesn’t have a huge amount to be positive about.

Amid worsening humanitarian conditions, the once-ambitious hopes of Palestinians in Gaza, dreams of a better future, prosperity, and reconstruction, are gone.

Read our story here. 

Sana’a Issa, 41, a mother of seven who lost her husband during the war, is currently in a camp in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, after fleeing from the Bureij camp [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
1 Jan 2026 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

WATCH: Doctors fear ‘swamp fever’ spreading in flood-hit Gaza

Health authorities are warning of yet another potential health threat in Gaza: leptospirosis.

Dr Bassam Zaqout explained that widespread flooding and lack of basic sanitation were making the war-ravaged Strip into a perfect breeding ground for the bacterial disease, also known as swamp or rat fever.

Watch our video below:

1 Jan 2026 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

One person killed, others wounded after tent fire in Gaza City

One person has died and five others have been wounded after a fire broke out in a tent sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Wafa reported.

According to the report, the tent was located inside the Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City.

Earlier, a child, Malak Rami Ghneim, who lived inside a tent for displaced people in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, also died as a result of the severe cold.

1 Jan 2026 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

Photos: Palestinians walk through market in Khan Younis

Displaced Palestinians walk through a market in Khan Younis at the beginning of the new year in the southern Gaza Strip [Haitham Imad/EPA]
[Haitham Imad/EPA]
[Haitham Imad/EPA]
[Haitham Imad/EPA]

1 Jan 2026 - 19:30
 (19:30 GMT)

A roundup of today’s reported ceasefire violations by Israel

Local media in Gaza have reported a series of Israeli ceasefire violations today.

According to the Safa news agency, an Apache helicopter opened fire north of Rafah in southern Gaza, alongside gunfire from military vehicles in the area.

In central Gaza, shelling and machinegun fire were reported southeast of the Bureij refugee camp. Overnight, Israeli aircraft carried out a strike in the Shujayea neighbourhood of Gaza City and launched a series of attacks on Rafah.

There were also reports of heavy gunfire and artillery firing east of Gaza City, including the Tuffah area, as well as firing east of Khan Younis.

The incidents are part of a pattern of ongoing violations that have continued since the latest October 10 ceasefire took effect, with at least 415 Palestinians killed and 1,152 wounded in the breaches.

1 Jan 2026 - 19:15
 (19:15 GMT)

Euro-Med warns Israel’s aid agency ban risks collapsing critical services

Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor says Israel’s decision not to renew licences for 37 international aid organisations working in the occupied Palestinian territory amounts to a “dangerous escalation” that will severely obstruct humanitarian relief.

It said the move risks collapsing critical services such as emergency medical care, water and sanitation, malnutrition treatment for children, and shelter for displaced families. It warned the move could force one in three health facilities in Gaza to shut down due to a lack of support.

The monitor said the restrictions are part of a strategy to “strangle humanitarian access” in violation of international law and the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures, adding that limiting aid is being used as a tool of collective punishment.

1 Jan 2026 - 19:00
 (19:00 GMT)

Rights group warns of ‘catastrophic’ consequences as Israel blocks fuel entry

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has warned of “catastrophic” consequences as Israel continues to obstruct fuel deliveries into the Gaza Strip, saying the restrictions are crippling humanitarian operations and violating international law.

According to the group, fuel shortages have forced hospitals to scale back or halt services, putting patients in intensive care and operating rooms at immediate risk. The lack of fuel is also disrupting water, sanitation, telecommunications, bakeries and transport, worsening already dire living conditions.

The centre said the policy amounts to collective punishment prohibited under international humanitarian law. It urged the UN and the international community to pressure Israel to allow regular fuel entry at scale to prevent the total collapse of essential services.

1 Jan 2026 - 18:45
 (18:45 GMT)

Child freezes to death in Nuseirat camp, local media report

A young girl has died in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza due to extreme cold inside displacement tents, as winter temperatures worsen and families remain without proper shelter or heating.

She has been identified as Malak Rami Ghoneim by several local media outlets.

Separately, local journalists say four Palestinians wounded by Israeli fire have arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, after being shot at two different locations in the southern Gaza city.

1 Jan 2026 - 18:30
 (18:30 GMT)

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights says hospitals reducing services due to lack of fuel

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has announced that several hospitals and health facilities in the enclave have been forced to reduce services or cease operations due to an Israeli blockade on fuel.

According to the centre, operations at other hospitals remain unstable and rely on the limited quantities of diesel, which have affected the lives of patients, intensive care units, operating theatres and neonatal units.

It added that Israel’s restrictions on fuel have effects on all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, with the government using fuel as a tool of collective punishment. The centre also warned that restrictions on fuel and the quantities allowed to enter the Strip were placing humanitarian responses in a dangerous situation and contravened international law.

1 Jan 2026 - 18:15
 (18:15 GMT)

Palestinian syndicate reports 42 journalist detentions by Israel in 2025

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says Israeli forces arrested 42 Palestinian journalists in 2025, including eight women, as part of a “systematic campaign” to silence local media.

The group’s Freedoms Committee said the arrests took place across the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, inside Israel and at military checkpoints, often during field reporting, raids or while journalists were covering army operations and illegal settler attacks.

While the number is lower than in 2023 and 2024, the committee said this does not reflect any improvement. Instead, it signals a shift from mass arrests to targeted detentions of influential reporters, repeated arrests of the same individuals, and wider use of administrative detention without charge or trial.

The syndicate also documented cases of beatings, threats at gunpoint, harassment, the confiscation of cameras and phones and raids on journalists’ homes.

1 Jan 2026 - 18:00
 (18:00 GMT)

Settlers destroy farm structures, chase residents in Hebron area

Armed Israeli settlers destroyed two agricultural structures and chased Palestinian residents in separate incidents in the Hebron area in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

In Masafer Yatta, settlers from a nearby illegal settlement and another outpost demolished two farm shacks belonging to Ismail Makhmara and his son, and stole equipment from the site.

In Beit Ummar, settlers blocked residents from reaching their land in the Khirbet al-Qat area, where they recently placed a mobile home and brought livestock. Residents fear the attacks are meant to establish a new outpost and seize even more land.

Such settler attacks take place on a near-daily basis across the West Bank, often under the protection of Israeli forces.

1 Jan 2026 - 17:45
 (17:45 GMT)

Palestinian rights group decries Israel’s aid agency ban

The Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq has condemned Israel’s decision to block 37 international humanitarian and aid organisations from operating in the occupied Palestinian territory, saying it amounts to an escalation of “genocidal policies” in Gaza.

The group says the restrictions violate international law and ignore rulings by the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Israel to ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Al-Haq called on states to take concrete action, including sanctions and an arms embargo, and to support efforts to enforce International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Israeli officials. It said making humanitarian access dependent on political conditions forces out vital international assistance and further isolates Palestinians.