Israeli forces raided the offices of six Palestinian Authority human rights groups that the country previously labeled as “terrorist organizations” in the West Bank on Thursday.
Israeli soldiers sealed the doors of the offices, confiscated properties of the organizations, and placed notices that the groups were closed due to “safety reasons” into the offices, the advocacy groups told the Associated Press. Israeli officials claimed the groups were linked to a movement called the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which was outlawed by Israel last year after the armed wing of the movement carried out deadly attacks against Israel. The groups have denied all ties to the movement.
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The front doors of Al-Haq, a human rights group based in Ramallah, were welded shut, the organization’s director, Shawan Jabarin, told the outlet. However, staffers are still determining what documents, if any, have been seized. People around the office at the time of the raid attempted to unseal the doors, and employees resumed their work immediately, Jabarin added.
“We don’t take permission from any Israeli military or political official. We are proceeding, encouraged by our belief in accountability and the international law,” Jabarin said.
The offices of Addameer, which advocates for Palestinian Authority prisoners; Defense for Children International-Palestine; the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees; the Union of Agricultural Work Committees; and the Bisan Center for Research and Development were also raided Thursday, according to the Guardian.
The attack was condemned by officials within the Palestinian Authority, with leaders saying they would appeal to the international community to help reopen their doors. Hussein al Sheikh, a senior official with the Palestinian Authority, said the attack was a “dangerous escalation and an attempt to silence the voice of truth and justice,” reports said.
The State Department said it was concerned by the attacks from Israel and that the allegations from Israel would not change U.S. operations with the nongovernmental organization.
“We have not changed our position or approach to these organizations,” State Department spokesman Ned Hunt said. “We have seen nothing in recent months to change [our position].”
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The attack was also condemned by a delegation of mostly European diplomats who visited Al-Haq’s office following the raid to show support for the organizations.
Thursday’s raid signaled an escalation of regional tensions that have been inflamed in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the Israel Defense Forces claimed responsibility for killing all the leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with Israeli leaders saying it was a preemptive strike ahead of a planned attack.
