JENIN, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday shut down the headquarters of the Jenin Central Zakat Committee in Jenin in the northern West Bank after raiding the building, vandalizing its contents, and confiscating some of its property.
Witnesses said IOF stormed the headquarters and destroyed office contents and windows.
Samir Al-Souqi, head of the committee, said employees were shocked when they arrived at work in the morning to find the office sealed shut and notices posted on the doors in Arabic and English claiming that the committee “supports terrorism” and stating that it had been closed by the Israeli army.
He added that staffers arrived at around 8:30 a.m. only to discover that Israeli forces had shut down the headquarters and barred anyone from entering.
The closure comes weeks after the IOF shut down charity committees and institutions in the al-Khalil governorate in the southern West Bank.
On April 15, Israeli forces raided several areas in al-Khalil and closed a zakat committee office in the town of Idhna, west of the city after storming and ransacking the premises.
The head of the Jenin Zakat Committee said the organization had been preparing in recent days to distribute humanitarian aid to poor families, needy households, and orphans ahead of Eid al-Adha. He noted that dozens of residents visited the headquarters daily seeking assistance or inquiring about their shares of sacrificial meat and Eid clothing aid.
Al-Souqi added that Jenin governorate is suffering from severe economic conditions and rising poverty rates, resulting in an increase in the dependence of many families on assistance provided by the committee. He said the organization had been compiling lists of aid beneficiaries before the sudden closure of its headquarters.
He also stated that no member of the committee’s staff has so far been allowed to enter the building to assess the extent of the damage or determine what items had been confiscated, although signs of vandalism were clearly visible at the building entrance and on the stairways.
According to Al-Souqi, papers and belongings were scattered throughout the premises, alongside broken chairs, electrical devices, photocopiers, and computers, with some equipment either destroyed or taken to an unknown location.
Cities and towns across the occupied West Bank have witnessed escalating Israeli raids, closures, and military incursions since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
Since then, Israeli army and settler attacks in the West Bank have killed 1,162 Palestinians, wounded more than 12,000 others, and led to the arrest of nearly 23,000 people, according to official Palestinian figures.
