Israel occupation army shuts West Bank charity: Palestinian officials

The Israeli occupation military shut down the headquarters of a Palestinian charitable organization in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, alleging it supported terrorism, Palestinian officials said.

AFP journalists in Nablus reported that the entire building housing the headquarters of the Al-Tadamon Charitable Society had been sealed off, with its metal front gate welded shut.

"This union has been declared an illegal entity and has been shut down due to its involvement in and support for terrorism," a sign in English and Arabic posted on the front gate read.

Nablus Mayor Anan al-Atira said she was taken aback by the raid.

"We were surprised after the raid to find that they had closed down a charitable organization, the Al-Tadamon Charitable Society," Atira told AFP.

The Israeli occupation military told AFP it was looking into the details of the raid.

The charity declined to comment on the closure.

A source close to the organization, however, told AFP that the move was linked to accusations of coordination with the Gaza-based rights organization Al-Dameer — allegations the source rejected.

Atira said Al-Tadamon provided services for orphans and operated at least three schools and a clinic.

She added that the charity "has been working in this country for many years, providing relief services and services for orphans."

Nablus Gov. Ghassan Daghlas, speaking to reporters outside the charity's headquarters, said: "To target Al-Tadamon charity is to target all the poor among our people."

Ghassan Hamdan, director of the Medical Relief Society, another charity in Nablus, described the closure as a new step in Israeli policy in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

"This is part of Israel's escalation policy, which began with the siege and blockade of Palestinian cities and various governorates, raids and settlement expansion," Hamdan said.

"Now it has moved on to targeting charitable institutions," he added.

Israel has carried out numerous raids against Palestinian organizations it accuses of working with or financing armed groups it considers a security threat.

Al-Tadamon's closure comes amid ongoing tensions in the West Bank, where Israeli occupation military raids have intensified since the start of the war in Gaza in 2023.