WEST BANK: Palestinians protest Israeli closure of a number of charities in the city

Record ID: 1540089

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinians protest Israeli closure of a number of charities in the city
  • Date: 12th March 2008
  • Summary: MORE OF PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS MARCHING
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2008 12:30
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Social Services / Welfare
  • Reuters ID: LVAHE1DXBIDQNL33UYQGLCGVTHC
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Thousands of Hamas supporters march in the West Bank city of Hebron in protest against the Israeli closure of a Hamas-affiliated charity in the city.
    Hundreds of Hamas supporters marched through the streets of the West Bank city of Hebron in protest of the Israeli closure of a Hamas-affiliated charity in the city.
    Israeli troops seized the facilities of the Islamic Charity in Hebron, confiscating documents and the contents of its warehouse early on Thursday (March 06).
    Charity workers said the seized goods -- which included computers, typewriters, food, clothes and office supplies -- were worth hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars.
    The Israeli army confirmed the raid, saying it was for security reasons. Witnesses at the site said the army accuses the charity of funding Hamas, the Islamist party that controls the Gaza Strip.

    "The charity is not a terrorist one," said Amal Abu Hamida, a young protester.

    "Are the people who educate the orphans terrorists? Or are the people who provide orphans with medical treatment terrorists? Or are the ones who give them (orphans) nourishment terrorists? Or are the ones who protect them (orphans) terrorists? No, they are not terrorists. The charities are not terrorists, charities are not terrorists," she added.
    According to Atta Faraj, a lawyer for the closed charity, the decision to close it down is illegal and goes against Palestinian-Israeli peace agreements.

    "The truth is that the decision to close the Islamic charity recently most definitely goes against all the laws and agreements with the Palestinian Authority as well as the Oslo Agreement. The Oslo Agreement states that this area is under the control of the Palestinian Authority,"
    he said.
    Following a Palestinian suicide attack in the southern Israeli city of Dimona in February, Israeli troops shut down two charities belonging to Hamas in Hebron, saying they funnelled money to support the party's military wing.
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