Decolonise MSF

It doesn’t have to be this way. In December 2025, Israel demanded that 37 humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza hand over their staff lists, otherwise they would be forced to cease operations in 60 days. Reportedly, 23 organizations including @MSF intend to comply.

"We understand MSF’s determination to remain present and continue delivering medical care in Gaza. That intention is legitimate and important. However, the cost of the approach currently being considered - sharing a list of staff with Israeli authorities - appears too high, first and foremost for Palestinian colleagues in Gaza, but also for MSF as an organisation, for other NGOs, and for the humanitarian sector more broadly. In this context, there is no meaningful possibility of informed consent for Palestinian staff. The degree of coercion and need is such that consent cannot be considered free, informed, or voluntary. We should stop presenting it as though it is. We should also be clear-eyed about the environment in which this demand is being made. Israeli authorities are responsible for the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people and have vilified MSF in recent months in an unprecedented manner. This is not an administrative formality; it is part of a broader system of control, coercion, and restriction that has directly undermined humanitarian action and placed staff at risk. Interpreting minimal or performative acknowledgements (such as a WhatsApp confirmation of receipt) as a sign of good faith is not an adequate basis for accepting such measures. By complying, MSF risks creating a precedent that will be used to normalise similar demands across organisations. It will make it easier for authorities to impose this on others - and harder for any humanitarian actor to refuse. We will also be putting the reputation of MSF (and what is it willing to accept) in jeopardy and really put in the balance our ability to operate and ensure staff safety in Somalia, Yemen, Iran and many other countries. Ultimately, sharing even a partial list of staff is not proportionate to the operational gain it is expected to deliver. It is unlikely to enable safe, effective operations in Gaza, and it risks violating both the spirit and intent of the Gaza IGA motion. As a movement, we are bound by that framework, and it is essential that operational decision-making reflects it." - Current Palestinian MSF Staff

"I would’ve preferred if the organisation stood behind its principles and decided to leave instead of making such a compromise. The consultative process they are claiming, is unethical. You simply can’t ask people who are living a genocide to decide between getting aid or being exploited and targeted."

More testimonies about @MSF's decision to capitulate to Israel's demands for their staff lists and information. (@DecoloniseMsf)