Israeli forces raided the offices of two Palestinian civil society organisations and entered the grounds of a major government hospital in Ramallah on Tuesday, injuring two Palestinians and reportedly wounding four journalists during the operation.
The raids took place in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli troops deployed military vehicles, fired tear gas and stun grenades, and removed documents and office equipment from the premises of the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.
The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees was also targeted, while Israeli snipers were reportedly deployed around the entrances to the Palestine Medical Complex, the largest government medical facility in the occupied West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, two Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire. A young man suffered a serious gunshot wound to his lower back, while a 14-year-old boy was shot in the upper thigh. Several other people were treated for breathing difficulties caused by tear gas.
AFP journalists and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces fired tear gas and stun grenades towards journalists covering the operation, injuring four of them.
At Addameer’s former headquarters, soldiers were seen carrying furniture, office equipment, folders and documents out of the building and loading them onto a trailer attached to a military vehicle. Israeli forces also reportedly posted a closure order on the premises.
Addameer provides legal assistance to Palestinian prisoners and advocates for their rights. Israeli authorities closed its offices in August 2022, alongside those of six other Palestinian civil society organisations, after designating the groups as terrorist organisations over alleged links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The organisations have challenged the allegations.
The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, another organisation targeted on Tuesday, works on women’s rights and community-based initiatives in Palestinian society.
The operation also extended to the Palestine Medical Complex, where Israeli forces entered the hospital courtyard. Palestinian reports said snipers were positioned around the facility’s entrances, raising concerns over access to medical services during the raid.
Israeli forces also deployed across parts of Ramallah and nearby Al-Bireh, including residential neighbourhoods, as the operation continued for several hours.
The raids come amid continuing Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with Palestinian civil society organisations facing restrictions, closures and allegations of links to armed groups.
