"Israel" to Shut Charities in West Bank
Source: Alalam.ir, 07-07-2008
WEST BANK--The occupying ‘Israeli' army will soon be stepping up its campaign against Palestinian civilian infrastructure in the West Bank, an ‘Israeli' daily has revealed.
The army will shut down a large number of what it labels Hamas-affiliated charities, confiscate their property, and search computers and documents that detail their activity.
According to Haaretz, the occupying army has been carrying out similar raids in Al-Khalil, Qalqilyah and Ramallah areas since the beginning of the year.
But the new round of crackdown will now be expanded to additional parts of the West Bank, in the wake of approval from ‘Israeli' authorities.
After receiving permission from ‘Israeli' officials to seize property, the occupying army has shut down a mall in Al-Khalil even though it was not directly linked to Hamas.
The occupiers also confiscated buses and prohibited the opening of a new school in Al-Khalil due to their perceived ties to Islamic associations. Offices and storehouses have also been shut down.
The occupying regime's prime minister Ehud Olmert, war minister Ehud Barak, chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin have approved the plan to target Hamas' civilian infrastructure.
The army argues that closing Hamas-affiliated institutions cuts off a crucial source of funding earmarked for resistance activities.
The new crackdown came as the occupying regime imposed a severe siege on the Gaza Strip a year ago, after Hamas took over the territory from forces loyal to Fatah.
The move is also aimed at making it difficult for Hamas to increase its influence in the West Bank, in a bid to stem Hamas' rising popularity and keep it from wresting control from the Palestinian Authority.
Over the last few years, Hamas has built an "organizational system that, if necessary, could serve as the basis for a state", a senior ‘Israeli' army official told Haaretz.
"It's simply a 'state of associations.' They accumulate a lot of popular support and rely on an enormous infusion of funds from abroad, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars a year, from bodies in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf states and Muslim communities in Europe, the United States and South America."
A senior officer said the army, which is preventing Hamas from challenging the Palestinian Authority more directly, is the primary obstacle to a Hamas takeover of the West Bank.
"They have knowledge, funds and skilled people, much more so than Fatah," the officer said.
"They won the elections in many towns and local authorities, and they are gradually gaining control of more education, health, welfare and religious institutions."
But the officer said the occupying army was fighting what he called a "rearguard battle."
"We're talking about strengthening the moderate elements that is, the Palestinian Authority but actually the PA has little control over the area.
"Hamas has taken over all the associations not just blatantly Islamic bodies, but also those that used to be under PA control. The Palestinian public prefers Hamas, because they are less corrupt and more efficient."
But although the Zionist army is targeting Hamas-affiliated institutions, the officer notes that "we have not yet declared war on Hamas".
He said such a move would need to be undertaken by the regime as a whole, rather than "local work" carried out by the army and Shin Bet.
Hamas-affiliated institutions that were targeted so far include schools, health centers, charities, and even soup kitchens and orphanages. Dozens of associations were shut down and the food confiscated.
Several dozen indictments have been issued thus far, and some operatives have been convicted and sentenced to jail terms.
WEST BANK--The occupying ‘Israeli' army will soon be stepping up its campaign against Palestinian civilian infrastructure in the West Bank, an ‘Israeli' daily has revealed.
The army will shut down a large number of what it labels Hamas-affiliated charities, confiscate their property, and search computers and documents that detail their activity.
According to Haaretz, the occupying army has been carrying out similar raids in Al-Khalil, Qalqilyah and Ramallah areas since the beginning of the year.
But the new round of crackdown will now be expanded to additional parts of the West Bank, in the wake of approval from ‘Israeli' authorities.
After receiving permission from ‘Israeli' officials to seize property, the occupying army has shut down a mall in Al-Khalil even though it was not directly linked to Hamas.
The occupiers also confiscated buses and prohibited the opening of a new school in Al-Khalil due to their perceived ties to Islamic associations. Offices and storehouses have also been shut down.
The occupying regime's prime minister Ehud Olmert, war minister Ehud Barak, chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin have approved the plan to target Hamas' civilian infrastructure.
The army argues that closing Hamas-affiliated institutions cuts off a crucial source of funding earmarked for resistance activities.
The new crackdown came as the occupying regime imposed a severe siege on the Gaza Strip a year ago, after Hamas took over the territory from forces loyal to Fatah.
The move is also aimed at making it difficult for Hamas to increase its influence in the West Bank, in a bid to stem Hamas' rising popularity and keep it from wresting control from the Palestinian Authority.
Over the last few years, Hamas has built an "organizational system that, if necessary, could serve as the basis for a state", a senior ‘Israeli' army official told Haaretz.
"It's simply a 'state of associations.' They accumulate a lot of popular support and rely on an enormous infusion of funds from abroad, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars a year, from bodies in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf states and Muslim communities in Europe, the United States and South America."
A senior officer said the army, which is preventing Hamas from challenging the Palestinian Authority more directly, is the primary obstacle to a Hamas takeover of the West Bank.
"They have knowledge, funds and skilled people, much more so than Fatah," the officer said.
"They won the elections in many towns and local authorities, and they are gradually gaining control of more education, health, welfare and religious institutions."
But the officer said the occupying army was fighting what he called a "rearguard battle."
"We're talking about strengthening the moderate elements that is, the Palestinian Authority but actually the PA has little control over the area.
"Hamas has taken over all the associations not just blatantly Islamic bodies, but also those that used to be under PA control. The Palestinian public prefers Hamas, because they are less corrupt and more efficient."
But although the Zionist army is targeting Hamas-affiliated institutions, the officer notes that "we have not yet declared war on Hamas".
He said such a move would need to be undertaken by the regime as a whole, rather than "local work" carried out by the army and Shin Bet.
Hamas-affiliated institutions that were targeted so far include schools, health centers, charities, and even soup kitchens and orphanages. Dozens of associations were shut down and the food confiscated.
Several dozen indictments have been issued thus far, and some operatives have been convicted and sentenced to jail terms.
