Israeli soldiers attacked on Tuesday at dawn the Islamic Charitable Society in Hebron city, in the southern part of the West Bank and shut down several projects run the charitable society. The Charitable society runs several projects in Hebron and is also running three schools and two orphanages serving 7000 children, 300 of whom are living in the Society buildings
On 25 February 2008, the General of Command (GOC) of the Israeli army, order the closure, evacuation and confiscation of all properties and institutions funded by the Islamic Charitable Society. The order was to be implemented on April 1st.
The Israeli army claims that the charitable Society has ties with the Hamas movement.
Addul-Kareem Farrah, the legal advisor of the Islamic Charitable Society told the IMEMC that the society is legal and only answers to the Palestinian Authority law.
"The society is legally registered and is operating since 1962, it is located in the Palestinian Authority (P.A) control areas, according to the Oslo agreement, in which all control, management and security were given in those areas to the PA, therefore, the PA is the only side responsible for this organization." Farrah stated.
The Society filed an appeal to the Israeli High Court of Justice which on April 2nd gave the army four days to file its justification for the close and evacuation.
The allotted period ended last week and the army demanded more time, but today at dawn, the army closed down a bakery that belongs to the Islamic Charitable Society in Hebron in an indication that the military will go ahead with and close the society and its facilities.
Sources at the society stated if the army shuts down the society, 300 orphaned children will be rendered homeless, 5000 families will lose aid, and 800 employees will lose their jobs.
