Israeli Occupation Forces Raid a Number of Palestinian Organizations in the City of Qalqilia

April 15, 2008

On April 9th, 2008 Israeli occupation forces carried out a wide spread rampage campaign in the City of Qalqilia that reached a large number of educational and humanitarian organizations in the city. Six public and private centers were included in the campaign which resulted in the confiscation of all of the equipment and files of the targeted entities. The Israeli occupation forces brought with them big trucks to collect in them all of the items belonging to the targeted organizations. Moreover, closure orders were taped at the doors of these organizations.

A description of the targeted organization is listed below:

A) Samhan Cultural Center:

Samhan Cultural Center is located across the road from Al Quds Open University in the City of Qalqilia. A working authorization has been granted for the Center by the Palestinian Authority in March 2008. The main activities of the Center include providing computer and subject-oriented training courses aimed at school and university students. It is a for-profit entity that provides services for the college and school communities including writing, copying and printing research papers for the students as well as photocopying text books.

The Center was attacked in the early hours of Thursday the 10th of April, 2008. Israeli occupation forces used heavy equipment in smashing the front doors of the Center. They, then, collected the computers, chairs, backboards, tables, CDs, Islamic cassettes in addition to a large number of college and educational books. The estimated loss of the owner of the Center is about 14,000 Jordanian Dinars. The collected item were placed in a truck and taken away to an unknown location. The doors of the Center were welded shut while a military order calling for the closure of the “Graduates Cultural Forum” – not Samhan Cultural Center – for a period of two years was taped to the Center’s doors. A map was placed next to the Order in which the Forum was identified as the target intended for closure.

B) Qalqilia Municipal Library:

The 3-floor Qalqilia Municipal Library is located on the main street in Qaliqilia City near Dr. Darwish Nazzal Hospital. It was established in 1976 to provide service for all the segments of the Palestinian population. All in all, the Library contained 12,000 books in the different humanity, hard sciences and literature fields as well as children books. The Library also has computer lounges, a cinema, an archive section, a reading hall, a theatre, a children room in which toys are located in addition to bathrooms and administration offices. Seasonal shows, book fairs as well as summer activities for the children are some of the activities carried out by the Library.

On the early morning hours of Wednesday April 9th, 2008 Israeli occupation forces stormed into the Library while using heavy equipment to break in through its doors. A number of the computers present in the Library were confiscated as well as some files and a large number of books were confiscated before welding shut its doors. Occupation soldiers placed on the doors of the Library a military order calling for the closure of the headquarter of “Al Salam Society for Caring of the Child”!!!. The Qalqilia Municipal Library has nothing to do with the said organization and even the location on the map placed next to the Order was not that of the Library !!!.

C) Headquarter of Awqaf Qalqilia:

On April 9th, 2008 Israeli occupation forces surrounded and searched the Directorate of Religious Affairs and Waqf in the city of Qalqilia. The soldiers confiscated the following from the headquarters:

Files and papers from Al Zakat Department.
4 computers.
All the content of the Financial Department in Al Awqaf including expenditure and income files, all contracts signed by Al Awqaf, the financial archives, the collection files since 2004, salary files as well as financial incomes and debts owed by the public to the Directorate.

In addition, extensive damage was done to the doors, windows, counters and furniture of the Directorate.

D) Al Huda Cultural Center:

The Center is located in the vicinity of Al Quds Open University in the City of Qalqilia. It is an educational center that provides services to school and college students including typing and printing reports, photocopying in addition to selling stationary and books.

The Center was targeted on the 9th of April, 2008. Israeli occupation forces knocked down of the outside doors of the Center and confiscated all its furniture, computers, stationary, faxes, copy machines, printers and books. The doors were, then, welded shut and a military order was placed on the welded doors. The Order called for the closure of “Al Huda Center for Islamic Tapes” for a period of two years. It is worth noting that the Cultural Center has no connection whatsoever with the “Center for Islamic Tapes.”

Al Huda Center – Welded shut.

E) Al Noor Print Shop – associated with Al Quran and Sunna Society

The print shop is a subsidiary of Al Quran and Sunna Society which was shut down by the Israeli forces in 2005. The print shop itself was not operational ever since. Again, on April 9th, 2008 Israeli occupation forces forced its way into the Shop and confiscated all its content including computers, Qurans, faxes and specialized printing equipment. The value of the confiscated items is estimated to be 48,000 Jordanian Dinars. Occupation forces welded shut the doors of the Shop and placed a military order indicating its closure for a period of two years.

Al Noor Print Shop – welded shut by the occupation forces.

F) Al Sunna Library – Associated with Al Quran and Sunna Society:

The Library is also associated with the Al Quran and Sunna Society. Its activities have been frozen since 2005. It is located beneath Al Quds Open University and offers a set of different educational services to the students of the University such as printing, copying and selling stationary. On April 9th, 2008, the Library was searched and all of its content was confiscated, its door welded shut and a military order issued against “Al Quran and Sunna Library” was placed on its doors calling for its closure for two years.

Al Sunna Library.

It is worth noting here that the search-and-shut campaign carried out by Israeli occupation forces has usually targeted charitable societies that provide assistance for the Palestinian people.