The Spanish Government condemned the decision by the Israeli authorities to impose a halt on the activities of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said MSF’s work is “essential to alleviating the dramatic health situation of the Gazan population in the Gaza Strip.”

The statement emphasised that “international humanitarian NGOs, especially those working in the health sector such as 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 organisations in the field of health, is essential in addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Strip, providing vital assistance to the Palestinian population in Gaza who are subjected to unbearable violence”, the Spanish government said.

It urged the Government of 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 maintain the dignity of all human beings.”

Israel has ordered the medical charity MSF to halt its operations in the Gaza Strip and leave the territory by 28 February. The move was announced by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which claimed the decision followed MSF’s refusal to hand over staff lists to Israeli authorities.

MSF is among the largest humanitarian medical providers in Gaza, and its forced withdrawal is expected to further strain an already collapsing health system.

The ban comes amid a prolonged war that has claimed the lives of over 17,700 Palestinians, left more than 171,000 injured, and devastated most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, with the United Nations estimating reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.