RAMALLAH, June 30 — The Israeli army on Tuesday shut down the headquarters of the Solidarity Charitable Association in Nablus and destroyed a sports field in Bethlehem, both in the West Bank, according to Palestinian sources.
Local sources and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli military vehicles stormed the center of Nablus in the northern West Bank and raided the charity’s headquarters.
They added that Israeli forces hung a sign on the entrance of the building housing the charity’s headquarters, written in Arabic and English, claiming that the charity was “illegal and supports terrorism” and delivering an order to close the building for a year.
Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas condemned the closure, saying that the association has a long history of supporting needy families with donations, and its closure “will not prevent” continued aid to Palestinians. According to its website, the Solidarity Charitable Association is a non-governmental organization founded in 1956 in Nablus.
It focuses on collecting and distributing donations to orphans and impoverished families, as well as managing educational institutions and providing social and health services.
Also on Tuesday, Israeli forces demolished the playground of Battir Secondary School for Boys in the town of Battir, west of Bethlehem, according to the head of the Battir Municipal Council, Akram Bader. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on either incident. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
