The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism announced that Oxfam, the British-founded confederation of 21 independent NGOs, will cease operations in Gaza effective February 28, 2026, pursuant to a decision by the Ministry, which oversees the registration of humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza and Judea and Samaria.
The announcement follows a February 13, 2026, interview on Channel 4 News, in which Oxfam CEO Dr. Halima Begum made a series of public statements regarding internal dynamics within the organization. In the interview, she alleged that she was pressured to use the term “genocide" in relation to Gaza without sufficient factual basis. She also accused elements within the organization’s leadership of antisemitism and of maintaining a disproportionate and irrational focus on the crisis in Gaza compared to other humanitarian crises worldwide.
Oxfam has previously faced criticism over alleged anti-Israel bias and concerns regarding its neutrality.
Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli stated: “The CEO’s public statements reflect the narrative and intensity of antisemitism within Oxfam. Dr. Begum herself, who is Muslim, has been a vocal critic of the State of Israel. Therefore, when she testifies about the level of antisemitism within the organization and levels these accusations herself, her remarks should resonate around the world all the more."
Director General of the Ministry, Avi Cohen-Scali, added: “This is yet another example of the hypocrisy and antisemitism within international organizations that cloak themselves in a humanitarian mantle."
Earlier this month, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry announced that Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Doctors without Borders, would end its operations in the Gaza Strip by February 28, following MSF’s failure to submit lists of local employees, a requirement applicable to all humanitarian organizations operating in the region.