The cases of six Palestinian human rights and humanitarian organizations, namely the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Adameer), Al Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development (Bisan), Defense for Children International – Palestine, (DCI-P) the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UPWC) and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC) were included in the 2022 report of the Secretary General on allegations that their designations as “terror[ist] organizations” under the Counter-Terrorism Law 5776 of 2016 were related to their cooperation with the United Nations and their human rights and humanitarian work.114 UN actors condemned the designations115 and noted the critical work of these long-standing key partners of the United Nations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.116 According to information received by OHCHR, on 17 August 2022, the Israeli Military Commander for the West Bank rejected the procedural objection that five of these organisations – Addameer, Al-Haq, Bisan, DCI-P, and UPWC- had filed in February 2022 against the November 2021 decision of the Israeli Military Commander of the West Bank declaring them “unlawful”. The procedural objection was filed on the basis that the designations lacked evidence and had not followed due process. On 18 August 2022, Israeli military forces broke into, searched and sealed the offices of the six human rights and humanitarian organizations. Between 18 August and 15 September 2022, the directors of four of the organizations designated as “terror organizations” (DCI-P, Al Haq, UPWC and UAWC) were summoned by the Israeli Security Agency for interrogation. They were reportedly threatened by Israeli Security Agency with further consequences, including arrest, if they did not stop working for the organizations. Two directors also reported acts of intimidation directed at their children by the Israeli Security Agency (A/HRC/52/75, para. 29). According to information received by OHCHR, as of 30 April 2023 no formal charges had been filed against the directors of the organizations.

The cases of six Palestinian human rights and humanitarian organizations, namely the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Addameer), Al Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development (Bisan), Defense for Children International – Palestine, (DCI-P), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC) were included in the 2022 and 2023 reports of the Secretary-General on allegations that their designations as “terror[ist] organizations” under the Counter-Terrorism Law 5776 of 2016 were related to their cooperation with the United Nations and their human rights and humanitarian work.130 UN actors condemned the designations131 and noted the critical work of these long-standing key partners of the United Nations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.132134. In May 2023, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (the Commission), reported that it was not aware of any credible evidence to support the terrorist designations. 133 The Commission reported having received information suggesting that, six months prior to the designations, the Israeli Ministry of Intelligence had advised the Government to incriminate individuals and organizations receiving foreign funding, tarnish their reputation and expose their connections to “terrorist” elements. 134 The Commission noted that the Israeli authorities’ use of anti-terror legislation to categorize civil society organizations as terrorist organizations aimed to delegitimize and isolate them, undermine their activity, and harm their international funding and support.135 It then concluded, on the basis of reasonable grounds, that the designations were unjustified, undertaken to silence civil society voices, and violate human rights. 136 During the reporting period, the Commission and OHCHR addressed the significant impacts that the designations had had on the programmes, activities and work of the concerned organizations, including as a result of the withdrawal of funding and the imposition of travel bans.137 OHCHR also reported that, as a result of the designations, the organizations operated under constant threat of closure, and their staff and legal representatives operating with a continuing threat of arrest.138

93. The cases of six Palestinian human rights and humanitarian organizations, namely the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Addameer), Al Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development (Bisan), Defense for Children International – Palestine, (DCI-P), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC) have been included in the reports of the Secretary-General since 2022, on allegations that their designations as “terror[ist] organizations” under the Counter-Terrorism Law 5776 of 2016 were related to their cooperation with the United Nations and their human rights and humanitarian work. 91 UN actors condemned the designations92 and noted the critical work of these long-standing key partners of the United Nations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.93
94. During the reporting period, and according to information received by OHCHR, most of the designated organizations faced challenges regarding their banking transactions, including de-risking practices by banks, intermediary banks and donors. Reportedly, these practices have affected most of the organizations variably including with some organizations being unable to receive or send any funds.