 Over the past week, Israel has continued and intensified attacks against Palestinian human rights organizations. Who are these organizations and why are they being targeted? We find out in this video. On August 18th, Israeli occupation forces ransacked and shut down the offices of seven leading Palestinian civil society and human rights organizations in the occupied West Bank. The early morning raids targeted Al-Haq, Prison Advocacy Group Adamir, Bisan Center for Human Rights, Defense for Children, International Palestine, Union of Agricultural Work Committees and Union of Palestinian Women's Committees. The six organizations have been under constant threat ever since Israel designated them as terrorist organizations in 2021. The seventh target was the Union of Health Work Committees, which Israel had declared unlawful in 2020. The organizations later shared how the Israeli forces had broken down the doors of their offices, confiscated materials, welded and sealed the doors shut with iron sheets and left behind a military order. Adamir stated that the notice declared the organization forcibly closed on account of security in the region and to combat the infrastructure of terrorism. On August 21, Israeli forces threatened to arrest the heads of two of these organizations, Defense for Children, International Palestine's General Director Khalid Kuzmar and Al-Haq Director Shawan Jabarin. Kuzmar was detained by Israeli Security Agency Shinbeth on Sunday and taken to the offer military base near Ramallah. He was not allowed any legal counsel and released after a few hours. Jabarin, the head of Al-Haq, also complained that he had received a threat call from an Israeli intelligence agent who called him for interrogation at the offer base. The caller threatened Jabarin with imprisonment and asked him to stop his activities. In October 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense had declared six of these groups as terrorist organizations under the country's anti-terrorism laws. Israel alleged that these well-known organizations have links with the banned left-wing group popular front for the liberation of Palestine. The terrorist designation allows the Israeli government to shut down these groups' offices, confiscate their assets and arrest and imprison their employees. It also bans financially supporting these organizations or publicly supporting their activities. Months after making the allegations, Israel has paid to present any evidence to substantiate its claims. European countries which had suspended funding to some of these groups after Israel's allegations also soon resumed their funding as they found no suspicions of irregularities and odd fraud. Why have these organizations been targeted? The targeted organizations were carrying out critical work of documenting the Israeli occupation's ongoing war crimes in Palestine. They had been collaborating with ongoing investigations into Israel's actions, including in the probe by the International Criminal Court. Their work has been vital in the slow but gradual shift in international opinion against Israel's occupation. Many international rights groups have finally begun terming Israeli actions as apartheid. They also performed crucial work of aiding Palestinians in the matters of social, legal and human rights. Al Haqq is one of the oldest Palestinian human rights groups active in the occupied territories, involved in documenting human rights abuses and violations of international law. Ademir is a legal aid group that provides legal representation and advice to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody free of cost. Defence for Children International Palestine focuses on the rights and welfare of Palestinian children living under Israeli occupation. UPCW and UACW advocate for the rights and interests of the women in Palestine and of Palestinian agricultural workers and farmers. The Bisan Centre is a civil society organization working towards democracy, equality and human rights. The Union of Health Work Committees provides health services and advocates for health rights of all segments of the Palestinian population, particularly the poor and marginalized. Despite not providing any evidence of any wrongdoing by these organizations, Israel has stepped up its repressive tactics. Last month, the Defence Ministry Centre led to the lawyers representing the six organizations, claiming that their work could be considered a violation of Israel's domestic anti-terror laws. International Condemnation The actions of the Israeli state have been condemned worldwide. Nine European Union states released a joint statement condemning Israel's actions. The states reasserted in their statement that Israel had provided no substantial information that justified the branding of these groups as terrorist organizations. A group of more than 150 Palestinian regional and international organizations expressed solidarity with the targeted organizations. They called on the international community to take effective measures to end all other actions that deny Palestinians their inalienable human rights. The work will carry on. Meanwhile, Al Haq announced that members of the public had pried open the doors to its offices which had been sealed by the Israeli forces. The organization welcomed this show of solidarity and declared that Israel's arbitrary and unlawful actions will not silence them.