Israeli forces raid NGO offices in Ramallah

Israeli occupation forces have not only razed a Palestinian house to the ground in Jerusalem but also raided several Palestinian NGOs’ offices in Ramallah. The Palestinian NGOs Network, Women’s Work Committees and Al-Dameer for Caring for Prisoners and Human Rights were targeted by the Israelis in dawn raids.

A source at Al-Dameer said that the Israeli soldiers confiscated PCs, laptops, cameras and other equipment from the NGO’s office as well as the offices of the other organisations, which are located in the same building.

Palestinian Legislative Council member Mustafa Al-Barghouti denounced the Israeli aggression against the NGOs, describing the soldiers’ behaviour as “acts of orgy and piracy”.

The house which was demolished was in Al-Hardoub neighbourhood to the east of the Old City of Jerusalem. It belonged to the seven-member Al-Jabari family, who told witnesses that they were informed by the Israelis that their house was to be demolished “because they did not get a building permit from the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem”. However, the family insisted that they applied for and received a valid building licence several years ago.

Sources noted that the house was close to the Israeli apartheid wall which separates thousands of Palestinians in Jerusalem from the city’s West Bank hinterland.