To avoid being forced to suspend its operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on March 1, 2026, and following unreasonable demands to hand over personal information about our staff, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has informed Israeli authorities that, as an exceptional measure, we are prepared to share a defined list of Palestinian staff and international staff names, subject to clear parameters with staff safety at its core.
This position follows extensive discussions with our Palestinian colleagues and would only be carried out with the express agreement of the individuals concerned. MSF communicated this position in a letter to the Israeli authorities, solely with the aim of being able to continue providing critical medical care.
After months of engagement with Israeli authorities and with governments involved in these discussions — during which we have explored all other options — our priority remains the safety of our staff while continuing to provide independent, essential health care for Palestinians in dire need across the West Bank and Gaza.
Israel has knowingly given MSF and our Palestinian colleagues an impossible choice: Either we provide this information or abandon the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who need vital medical care.
Israel has knowingly given MSF and our Palestinian colleagues an impossible choice: Either we provide this information or abandon the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who need vital medical care.
We have so far refused to hand over a staff list as we are legitimately concerned about providing such information in a context where 1,700 humanitarian medical personnel have been killed, including 15 MSF workers, since October 2023. We would share this information with the expectation that it will not negatively affect MSF staff or our medical humanitarian operations.
