About 20 Israeli military vehicles stormed the Albiereh Municipal Offices at dawn on Tuesday, while the other occupation forces continued their assault for the second consecutive day against a number of charity organizations in Nablus, north of the West Bank.
Mayor Shiekh Jamal Attaweel said that a contingent from the Israeli Army cordoned off the area surrounding the building housing the municipal offices at about 1:00 after midnight and that the soldiers embarked on smashing doors and windows of the offices after taking one of the guards hostage for some time before releasing him. The soldiers confiscated documents and computers belonging to the municipality.

Attaweel said that this is the second time Israeli occupation forces raid the municipal building in two months. He said his office intends to bring legal action against the Israeli occupation adding that the municipality’s activities are limited to providing health, environmental, and construction services to thousands of the residents in the municipality.

Mr. Attaweel said that these raids come in the context of interfering with the services provided by Palestinian municipalities and as a further step to erode civil society organizations. Attaweel said that the municipal council is currently consulting with third parties to coordinate popular solidarity with victim institutions. He said that the assault included other institutions in the city such as the Islamic General Labor Union.

Meanwhile the Israeli Army continued its assault for the second day raiding a number of Islamic and charity societies and the main mall in Nablus claiming these institutions supported the Islamic movement.

Sources in Nablus stated that the Israeli occupation ordered the seizure and closure of six charity organizations as well as Islamic centers, businesses, and legal institutions providing services to Palestinian prisoners. Some of these institutions covered by the order were: Nafha Society for Prisoners Affairs, Islamic General Labor Union, Medical and Scientific Society, Yazour Charitable Society in Balata Refugee Camp, Albasmah Society in Askar Refugee Camp, as well as the Alhuda Women Mosque in Askar. Offices of Attadamun Charitable Society were raided for the second consecutive day.

Meanwhile, large Israeli forces stormed Nablus Mall, one of the largest commercial hubs in the city, and decided to seize and close the mall for five years after confiscating its belongings.

These raids come on the heels of a decision by the Israeli authorities to step up its assaults against Palestinian charity organizations after having started such action in February against similar charity societies, orphanages, and schools in Hebron, Qalqilieh, and Ramallah on the West Bank.