Israel shuts down Palestinian agricultural union in West Bank raid

Israeli forces have ordered the closure of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) office in el-Bireh after storming the site on Monday, in another sweeping move against Palestinian civil institutions under occupation.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the raid, describing it as “part of a systematic policy aimed at undermining civil and developmental work” in the occupied Palestinian territory, and said the action violates international laws that protect humanitarian organisations and local institutions.

The ministry stressed that Israel has “no sovereignty over our land”, pointing to last year’s advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which stated that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and must end “as rapidly as possible”.