RAMALLAH, December 1, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces raided on Monday the headquarters of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees in al-Bireh and closed it completely after searching it, before posting military closure orders on its gate.
The occupation forces seized several computers and documents from the headquarters and deployed their troops in the vicinity of nearby neighborhoods, which led to confrontations.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its crews provided first aid to three cases of suffocation from tear gas during the raid, including two 19-year-old girls who were transferred to the hospital, while the third case was treated at the scene.
PRCS said its crews also treated two children injured by rubber-coated metal bullets in Sateh Marhaba during the occupation forces’ incursion into the area.
In Hebron, Israeli forces carried out a simultaneous raid on the Union’s headquarters in the governorate and issued similar closure orders, as part of a campaign targeting Palestinian civil and development institutions.
This measure comes amid an ongoing escalation against institutions working in the agricultural sector and community services, which play a pivotal role in bolstering the steadfastness of farmers and rural communities across the governorates.
The Palestinian NGOs Network condemned the simultaneous raids on the Union of Agricultural Work Committees’ headquarters in al-Bireh and Hebron and the accompanying destruction and theft of the institution’s property.
The network said the attack constitutes a clear crime targeting licensed Palestinian civil institutions and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
It warned of the seriousness of this repeated escalation, which comes as part of a systematic policy to undermine civil society institutions and disrupt their developmental and humanitarian role.
It called on diplomatic missions and the United Nations to urgently intervene to protect civil institutions and their staff, hold the occupation authorities accountable for their crimes, and enhance international support for Palestinian institutions that form a cornerstone of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian Territory.
T.R.
