Israeli soldiers raid offices of Palestinian NGOs, forcing them to close

Ramallah, August 20 (RHC)-- Israeli forces raided and closed the offices of seven Palestinian civil society rights groups in the occupied West Bank.  Several of the groups report soldiers confiscated items and files, before leaving behind notices declaring the organizations unlawful. 

Israel designated six out of the seven groups as terrorist organizations in October of last year, a decision met with criticism from both the United Nations and international human rights groups.

Since 1967, Israel has banned more than 400 local and international organisations, including all major Palestinian political parties.  Fatah, which governs the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which Israel itself signed the 1993 Oslo Accords with, are among them.

The organizations targeted by Israel work in fields such as human rights, prisoner support, children’s rights, and healthcare.