As the humanitarian crisis in Palestine deepens, the operational space for aid actors is collapsing under the weight of expanding hostilities, rising settler violence, and mounting violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The first half of 2025 has seen an unprecedented toll on humanitarian personnel, particularly in Gaza, where targeted attacks and access restrictions have made this one of the most dangerous contexts for frontline workers anywhere in the world.
These developments are not isolated. They reflect a broader erosion of the norms that protect civilians and humanitarian operations in conflict. At the same time, the increasing privatisation and securitisation of aid delivery threatens to undermine the neutrality and independence on which safe and effective humanitarian access depends.
Humanitarian Diplomacy has been the focus of conversations at the recent European Humanitarian Forum and Protection of Civilians Week . Both diplomatic and operational steps are required to protect humanitarian workers and the wider civilian population and preserve principled access. This article aims to inform that conversation by examining current access constraints, emerging risk trends, and forward-looking scenarios – highlighting the critical role of contingency planning and field-based analysis in shaping a more effective response.
The Conflict Landscape: Escalation and Legal Violations
Violations of International Humanitarian Law continue to have severe and multifaceted impacts on the humanitarian community and its ability to operate effectively in Palestine.
In Gaza, Israeli military operations, have resulted in widespread devastation. Since October 2023, 430 humanitarians have been killed in Gaza, 88.8% of schools have been directly hit or damaged, the healthcare system is facing severe shortages, with 43% of essential medicines out of stock, and, since April 2025, there has been a 75% reduction in meal production across the Gaza strip (UN OCHA). Despite these challenges, the humanitarian effort continues.
In the West Bank, increased territorial expansion and settler activity have further eroded the prospects for a political resolution. This has been exacerbated by the launch of Operation Iron Wall by Israeli forces in early 2025. Characterised by frequent, large-scale raids, particularly in areas like Jenin and Tulkarem, the operation has had a severe impact on civilians and humanitarian access. Humanitarians report growing restrictions on movement, damage to critical infrastructure, and rising risks to both civilians and humanitarian staff. Operation Iron Wall underscores the shrinking humanitarian space in the West Bank and the urgent need for protection of civilians under occupation.
Whilst civilian areas are indiscriminately attacked, roads and hospitals are destroyed, or entire populations are forcibly displaced, humanitarian and healthcare workers continue to navigate ever present danger to reach those in need. These individuals often work under extreme stress, witnessing immense human suffering while facing serious threats to their own safety. Attacks on humanitarian convoys and infrastructure not only endanger lives but also violates the neutrality and trust essential to humanitarian work. As hospitals run out of supplies, food becomes scarce, and families are forced from their homes, aid workers are left with the impossible task of responding to overwhelming needs with limited access and shrinking resources. Each violation of International Humanitarian Law chips away at the space in which NGOs operate, making it harder to uphold the fundamental principles of humanity, neutrality, and impartiality that guide their missions.
Shrinking Humanitarian Space
Evacuation orders in Gaza Strip and Security Corridors
In addition to violations of International Humanitarian Law, aid workers continue to struggle with critically constrained access within the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Across the Gaza Strip humanitarian teams are required to coordinate their movements with the Israeli authorities. Between 9-13 May only 37% of aid movements were fully facilitated, while 58% were denied outright by Israeli authorities (UN OCHA). These systemic restrictions have greatly reduced the ability of humanitarians to reach those most in need.
Delays in aid have had a knock-on effect in contributing to instability in the Gaza strip. There has been an increase in looting, resource hoarding, and growing mistrust toward humanitarian actors particularly where aid is perceived to be selectively distributed or stockpiled. Hamas has subsequently redeployed security forces, most recently in late April, to contain the spike in criminality and inter-household disputes, reflecting a visible breakdown in public order across parts of the Strip.
Obstruction of humanitarian operations is not limited to movement denials. Systemic barriers, including unpredictable checkpoint closures, bureaucratic delays, and the targeting of roads and infrastructure have impacted responders. In addition to land impediments, the Israeli Navy has continued enforcing maritime restrictions, including firing on fishing vessels. The compounded pressure from land, air, and sea limits both humanitarian movement and evacuation options.
The Privatisation of Aid and Its Risks
Although a small amount of aid was allowed into Gaza on 21st May, it falls far short of the immense needs on the ground owing to the over 3-month aid blockade that was in place since March 2nd. Significantly more aid must be permitted to enter. This deliberate denial of aid amounts to the weaponisation of humanitarian assistance – a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law. In response, there have been proposals of alternative aid distribution mechanisms such as through the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. However, the support of these alternative systems sets an incredibly dangerous precedent.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a proposed body intended to coordinate and oversee the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. While framed as a solution to bypass blockages and ensure aid reaches civilians, INSO alongside other aid organisations is extremely concerned on both the ethical and long-term implications on the humanitarian system.
Firstly, the growing reliance on private or militarised logistics routes for aid creates troubling economic incentives around humanitarian assistance. For example, delays in aid delivery currently generate income (reportedly around $60 per truck per day) for Jordanian and Egyptian logistics companies. Under the proposed model, this revenue stream could shift to Israeli companies, further commercialising the aid process.
This shift is not only ethically problematic but also operationally risky. Such private logistics providers often lack the experience and training required to navigate complex conflict environments like Gaza. Unlike established humanitarian actors, they are not equipped to operate safely and impartially in war zones. As such, there is a higher risk of aid sites becoming overcrowded, civilians being exposed to military oversight during aid collection, and the fragmentation of humanitarian access, putting both aid and civilian lives at greater risk.
By aligning humanitarian coordination with political interests, such initiatives are likely to erode the trust and access that NGOs rely on to operate safely in conflict zones. Once humanitarian response is perceived as politicised or partial, NGOs may face increased targeting, restricted access, or expulsion -directly endangering staff and, more critically, the civilians they serve.
Humanitarian principles must remain the cornerstone of any response in Gaza or elsewhere. Rather than creating parallel, politically affiliated structures, the international community should reinforce the existing, principled humanitarian system, support independent NGOs and allow them to operate based on needs, not politics.
INSO’s Role
INSO has been supporting the humanitarian community across Gaza and the West Bank since early 2024, supporting in tailored safety analysis and advice, trainings, alerts, and coordination meetings.
In the face of mounting, attacks on aid workers, the ongoing aid blockade, and increasingly hostilities INSO has been working to scale up our response. In early February, alongside our regular safety and access services, we launched our 1-1 briefing service for NGOs. This was also followed by the launch of our warden system, which we’ve been using to support in assessing the readiness levels of NGOs in case of a need to relocate or hibernate during a ground operation. This has been a great resource in identifying and plugging gaps within shelter and relocation planning for NGOs in Gaza.
Since launching our 1-1 briefings we have received a significant number of requests, particularly following the USAID funding cuts, which has increased the volume of NGO partners seeking security coordination, risk assessment, and context briefings. This includes both international and national NGOS navigating the unique operational challenges posed by fragmented territorial control, movement restrictions, and conflict-related risks.
As leaders and policymakers gather this week at the European Humanitarian Forum and Protect Civilians Week, the obstruction of aid in Gaza must be at the forefront of each and every mind, both the immediate humanitarian consequences and the dangerous impact on how aid is distributed in crises around the world. INSO urges the international community to condemn the gross violations of humanitarian law and the increasing weaponisation of aid, and to uphold the sanctity of humanitarian principles.
Any erosion of these principles today will reverberate across future crises, undermining our collective ability to protect civilians and deliver life-saving assistance where it is needed most.
If you are a national or international NGO operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, you can register with INSO via our website or email info@pal.ngosafety.org
INSO Palestine is gratefully supported by ECHO.