Allow humanitarian organisations to work in Palestine, says UN to Israel
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The United Nations urged Israel to allow human rights and humanitarian organisations to continue their work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The statement comes after Israeli forces broke into seven such offices in Ramallah in the West Bank.
The offices were searched and sealed. The forces confiscated their properties and destroyed the rest. Military orders to close the offices were left at the buildings.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Palestine Lynn Hastings said this move affects all institutions working to promote human rights and development and are delivering assistance. The UN News said that the international body and its partners are taking the allegations of funding terrorism seriously.
The UN agencies and the Association of International Development Agencies, in an official statement, said that the attempted closures of these organisation offices represent the latest in a series of actions by Israel that are further limiting the ability of human rights.
The UN said the Israeli designations of these entities as unlawful and/or terror organisations. Israel's government has not given any compelling evidence to UN agencies or its NGO partners to support its claims.
UN and NGOs have offered to review the accusations to determine if funds have been diverted. Several UN member states recently responded saying that the evidence Israel authorities shared with them does not justify the designations.
The UN body asked the government of Israel to refrain from any action that would prevent these organisations from continuing their critical human rights, humanitarian, and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.