Israeli police announce raid of 2 organisations on suspicion of ties to Islamic Movement

Israeli police have said that on Thursday their forces raided two organisations in the cities of Haifa and Umm Al-Fahm on suspicion that their activities serve the Islamic Movement’s interests.

Police spokeswoman Luba El-Simari told Arab media in a written statement, a copy of which was sent to Anadolu Agency, that the raids were conducted in the context of implementing a decision to ban the northern branch of the Islamic Movement.

Simari added that there are suspicions that the two organisations have ties to “illegal” and “outlawed” entities, but did not name the organisations.

Last November, the Israeli government banned the Islamic Movement’s northern branch, which is headed by Sheikh Raed Salah, also shutting down non-profit organizations and movements that police believed operated on behalf of the group.

An Anadolu correspondent reported that a large number of Israeli police and intelligence officers raided the offices of Yusuf al-Seddiq Organisation for Prisoners’ Affairs in Umm Al-Fahm City, Al-Sadaka al-Garya organisation in Nazareth and Zahrat al-Carmel in Haifa.

According to the correspondent, Israeli soldiers prevented citizens and journalists from entering the buildings, before confiscating the contents of them and closing them. They also arrested Firas Omry, director of Yusuf al-Seddiq Organisation for Prisoners’ Affairs.

Sadaka al-Garya is an organisation working to provide support to private sector organisations in Nazareth, while Zahrat al-Carmel provides assistance to the poor in Haifa.