On Thursday morning, zionist occupation forces broke into, searched and sealed the offices of seven Palestinian human rights and humanitarian organizations in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Their property was confiscated and destroyed and military orders closing the offices were left at the premises.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Palestine Lynn Hastings said that attempted closures “affect all institutions working to promote human rights and development and are delivering assistance”.

“The attempted closures of these organization offices represent the latest in a series of actions by Israel that are further limiting the ability of human rights, humanitarian and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which affect all institutions working to promote human rights, development and delivering assistance,” the UN Agencies and the Association of International Development Agencies said in a statement.

Follow international law

The statement reiterated a previous one issued last November upholding that counter-terrorism legislation must be in accordance with obligations under international law, particularly international humanitarian law and human rights law.

This includes full respect for the rights to freedom of association and expression.

“We urge the Government of Israel to refrain from any action that would prevent these organizations from continuing their critical human rights, humanitarian and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the statement concluded. (ILKHA)