International organizations have in unanimous voice denounced the Israeli regime’s military raids on the offices of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
Faraan: It comes after Israeli forces stormed, searched, and sealed the headquarters of seven human rights organizations in Ramallah and the outskirt town of al-Bireh, marking a major escalation against the advocacy groups.
The organizations raided by the occupation forces include Al-Haq, Addameer, the Bisan Center for Research & Development, Defense for Children International Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Union of Health Work Committees, and the Union of Palestinian Women. Shawan Jabarin, director of al-Haq, said he and his staffers were still checking whether any documents were confiscated by the regime forces.
Israeli troops “came, blew up the door, got inside, and messed with the files,” he was quoted as saying by AP, adding that they sealed the entrance to the office after that. The Union of Agricultural Work Committees circulated a video showing troops in full battle gear searching their office and ransacking equipment.
In October last year, the Israeli regime issued a military order declaring the seven Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist organizations,” accusing the groups of links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and funneling donor aid to Palestinian resistance fighters. The groups have strongly denied the claims. Last month, nine European Union states rejected the Israeli regime’s terrorist designation of the Palestinian civil society groups, citing a lack of evidence, and saying they would continue their cooperation and strong support for the organizations.
The United Nations said Thursday that Israeli raids on the offices of seven Palestinian human rights organizations in the West Bank “cannot be taken lightly,” and called for the protection of civil society groups.
