(MENAFN- Palestine News Network )
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Last year, in October 2021, Israeli Ministry of Defense, directed by Benny Gantz, labeled 6 Palestinians organizations, working toward the strengthening of human rights, as“terrorist organizations”. By designating those Palestinian human rights organizations as“terrorist groups”. Israeli government intended at hindering drastically their advocacy work.
The organizations targeted by this decision dating from October 2021 are the following :
- the Defense for Children International-Palestine : investigating on human rights violations against Palestinian children in Israel military detention.
- Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association : tracks detailed data on Israel's mass incarceration of Palestinian children and political prisoners. Also works on ending torture towards palestinian prisoners and offers free legal aid to them.
- Bisan Center for Research and Development : do research and development models for the Palestinian community under occupation and promote campaign against violence toward women
- Al-Haq : documents human rights violations in Palestine and calls for accountability for Israeli crimes in the International Criminal Court
- The Union of Agricultural Work Committees : promotes the rights of Palestinian farmers facing risk of land confiscation
- The Union of Palestinian Women's Committees : empowers Palestinian women
After this decision, not only the Israeli forces were able to shut down the organizations, but also arrest and detain their staff members and any person involved. However, the international organizations did not find any basis for the precedent allegations as“terrorist group”.
And yesterday, the decision consequences were applied for real as Israelis forces raided the offices of those organizations. Al-Haq organization reported that Israel took action, as the organization's office was stormed by Israeli soldiers, who left a military order declaring the organizations illegal. Three others NGOs has been raided this night, including Addameer, The Union of Palestinian Committees and Bisan Research Center. Materials were confiscated and door were sealed and replaced by an iron plate, with military order on it.
Al-Haq office closed
Michael Sfard, the lawyer representing Al-Haq asserts, according to the news site Haaretz, that this closure is happening“after the government failed to convince the European countries who one by one determined that there is no basis for the accusations against the organizations.” He called for an immediate international intervention to counterbalance this assault on human rights protection.
In order to justify such raids, the IDF spokesperson confirmed that the organizations arrested were probably part of a network run by the Popular Front for the liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the latter being considered as a terrorist group by Israel. Israel's defence ministry also asserted last month that the lawyers representing the six organizations would need to receive official permission from the finance and defense minister or might face a prison sentence of up to seven years.
Military order on Addameer's office
Last month, nine European countries issued a joint statement, reaffirming that they did not accept the Israeli designation as“terrorist organizations” and that they will keep working with the Palestinian NGOs until there is no evidence of terrorism activities.
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