West Bank: Israel raids seven Palestinian human rights NGOs
The human rights NGO al-Haq was one of the seven targets of searches and their forced closure.
Here, its director Shawan Jabirin, in Ramallah on October 23, 2021. © Majdi Mohammed / AP
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The Israeli military carried out dawn raids Thursday, August 18, against the offices of seven Palestinian civil society organizations, including six rights NGOs that Israel designated “
terrorist organizations
” in October 2021. This categorization had had already been denied by those concerned and had been castigated by numerous human rights groups, UN experts and European Union States, "
for lack of substantial information received from the Israelis which would justify a such action
”.
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With our correspondent in Ramallah,
Alice Froussard
In videos released by NGOs and local media, Israeli soldiers confiscated computers and filled a truckload with information and documents.
Other soldiers
sat quietly in the offices
of another organization.
BREAKING 🚨 The Israeli occupation forces raided UAWC's office early this morning 18th of August, as well as the offices of the other #6organizations.
They destroyed office equipment, confiscated materials and left a closing order behind.
pic.twitter.com/hVaHrRIaKS
— Union of Agricultural Work Committees (@UAWC1986) August 18, 2022
On Thursday morning, the seven NGOs - al-Haq, Addameer, Bisan Center, Defense for Children, Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), Union of Palestinian Women's Committees (UPWC) and Health Work Committees - published images of the search of their offices, their sealed doors and the military orders posted at the entrance: "
Any activity in these offices threatens the security in this sector and the security of public order
", could one read on
prescriptions written in Hebrew
.
In a statement, the Israeli army said that "
soldiers and border police carried out an operation during the night to close down institutions used by the PFLP... The soldiers
closed down seven organizations
and confiscated property belonging to this terrorist organization
”.
Attempt “
to silence human rights defenders
”
But for the NGOs concerned, it is a "
further attempt to silence human rights defenders
", these organizations being crucial in the work of denouncing the violations of the rights of the Palestinians committed by Israel.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh visited al-Haq's offices this morning to meet with directors of relevant NGOs.
فيديو|
مشاهد لمصادرة معدات ومقتنيات مقر اتحاد لجان المرأة الفلسطينية وإغلاقه خلال اقتحام استمر لساعاعات بمدينة
تصوير معتصم سقف الحيط pic.twitter.com/Vi6FF9UxKl
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) August 18, 2022
A senior Palestinian Authority official, Hussein al-Sheikh, denounced the Israeli measures as an "
attempt to silence the voice of truth and justice
".
Last month, nine European countries, including Germany and France, announced that they wanted to continue to “
cooperate
” with
the six organizations targeted in October
, for lack of evidence against them.
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