The occupation raids human rights organizations in the West Bank
Israeli occupation forces launched coordinated raids on Tuesday morning targeting Palestinian human rights organizations in Ramallah and al-Bireh, confiscating equipment and issuing military closure orders against institutions that document alleged violations against Palestinian prisoners and advocate for women's rights.
The operation focused on two prominent civil society organizations: the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association and the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees. Military forces sealed the entrances to both institutions following previously issued closure orders.
Targeted Organizations
Addameer, founded in 1991 in Jerusalem and relocated to Ramallah in 1998, provides free legal aid to Palestinian prisoners and documents conditions inside Israeli detention facilities. The organization has become one of the most prominent entities tracking the legal treatment of Palestinian detainees.
The Union of Palestinian Women's Committees, established in 1980, focuses on women's empowerment and operates 21 preschools and day-care centers in West Bank communities alongside its advocacy work.
Details of the Raids
During the raids, Israeli soldiers confiscated all office and technical equipment and files from the Addameer premises before welding the doors shut. The military imposed a tight security cordon around the targeted sites and blocked streets leading to the Palestine Medical Complex.
A press crew from Al-Ghad television channel was assaulted while attempting to cover the military operation. Soldiers fired sound grenades and tear gas directly at the journalists, disrupting their live broadcast despite the crew possessing official permits. Journalist Diaa Housheyeh suffered severe suffocation from inhaling the toxic gas deployed by occupation forces.
Clashes erupted in the vicinity of the raided institutions as military forces fired barrages of gas grenades, causing numerous suffocation injuries among passing civilians. The army continued to enforce movement restrictions in central Ramallah to complete the closure operations.
Systematic Campaign Against Civil Society
The raids represent the latest escalation in a systematic campaign against Palestinian civil society. In October 2021, Israel designated six Palestinian organizations as terrorist entities under its Anti-Terrorism Law, including both institutions raided on Tuesday, along with Al-Haq, Defense for Children International-Palestine, Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. International human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN experts condemned these designations, noting that no concrete evidence substantiating the terrorism allegations was ever publicly provided.
A similar large-scale raid occurred on August 18, 2022, when Israeli forces stormed and sealed seven Palestinian organization offices in Ramallah and al-Bireh, confiscating documents and equipment under military closure orders issued pursuant to Article 319 of the Emergency Regulations of 1945.
International Sanctions and Pressure
The campaign has extended beyond Israeli actions. In June 2025, the United States Treasury Department sanctioned Addameer under counterterrorism authorities, designating it as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The sanctions froze the organization's bank accounts and cut off access to digital services. In September 2025, the US imposed additional sanctions on three Palestinian human rights organizations—Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights—under Executive Order 14203 related to their engagement with the International Criminal Court.
The coordinated pressure has produced tangible results. Defense for Children International-Palestine, one of the organizations designated in 2021 and raided in 2022, ceased operations in April 2026 after 35 years of work, citing operational challenges stemming from Israel's criminalization campaign.
An EU Anti-Fraud Office review of Al-Haq found no suspicions of irregularities or fraud affecting EU funds, contradicting Israeli allegations of financial misconduct by the designated organizations.
Broader Context
The closures occur against a backdrop of expanding Israeli control infrastructure across the West Bank. According to a UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report from April 2026, the total number of documented physical movement obstacles in the territory reached 925, representing a 43 percent increase over the preceding 20-year average of 647 obstacles.
Human rights circles have condemned the latest raids and demanded international protection for civil institutions and press personnel working in conflict zones. The operation continues as military forces maintain their presence in Ramallah to ensure full implementation of the closure orders.
