The Israeli military shut down the headquarters of Al-Tadamon Charitable Society in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, accusing the organization of supporting terrorism, Palestinian officials confirmed. AFP journalists reported that the entire building housing the charity had been sealed off, with its metal front gate welded shut.
A sign posted on the gate, written in both English and Arabic, declared: "This union has been declared an illegal entity and has been shut down due to its involvement in and support for terrorism." Nablus mayor Anan Al-Atira expressed shock at the raid, telling AFP: "We were surprised after the raid to find that they had closed down a charitable organization, the Al-Tadamon Charitable Society."
Charity Services and Allegations
Al-Atira noted that Al-Tadamon provided essential services for orphans, operated at least three schools, and ran a clinic. She emphasized that the charity "has been working in this country for many years, providing relief services and services for orphans." The charity itself declined to comment on the closure. However, a source close to the organization, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the move was linked to accusations of coordination with the Gaza-based rights organization Al-Dameer—allegations the source firmly rejected.
Nablus governor Ghassan Daghlas, addressing reporters outside the charity's headquarters, stated: "To target Al-Tadamon charity is to target all the poor among our people." Ghassan Hamdan, director of the Medical Relief Society, another charity in Nablus, described the closure as part of a broader Israeli escalation policy in the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967. "This is part of Israel’s escalation policy, which began with the siege and blockade of Palestinian cities and various governorates, raids and settlement expansion," Hamdan said. "Now it has moved on to targeting charitable institutions."
Ongoing Tensions and Raids
Israel has conducted numerous raids against Palestinian organizations it accuses of collaborating with or financing armed groups deemed security threats. The closure of Al-Tadamon occurs amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, where Israeli military raids have intensified since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. Israel's military told AFP it was looking into the details of the raid, but no further information was provided at the time of reporting.
