An independent Palestinian non-governmental organization linked to the U.S.-designated terror group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ceased operations last week, citing Israeli restrictions.
Defense for Children International–Palestine, a Geneva-affiliated nonprofit based in Ramallah, announced it was shutting down after 35 years, saying it could not overcome “operational challenges resulting from Israel’s targeted criminalization of Palestinian human rights organizations,” according to a statement by its general director.
The organization’s closure comes amid broader Israeli measures affecting international and Palestinian NGOs operating in Judea and Samaria and Gaza. Last December, Israel ordered 37 international organizations to stop their work in the Palestinian-controlled territories within two months unless they complied with new rules put in place last March requiring registration of all such organizations and their staff.
Israeli officials say the rules are intended to ensure humanitarian groups are not exploited by terrorist organizations. Dozens of NGOs have curtailed or ended activities following the measures, which took effect earlier this year.
In October 2021, Israel designated DCI-P and five other Palestinian groups as terrorist organizations, alleging they operated as part of a network linked to the PFLP, which is also designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the European Union and Canada.
DCI-P had a wide range of international donors, including the European Union, Italy and the Netherlands, though the organization published no financial information on its website.
The organization used its consultative status at multiple United Nations bodies to advocate for measures against Israel, including support for boycotts.
According to the watchdog NGO Monitor, individuals with alleged ties to the PFLP have held positions within DCI-P, including on its board, including those who carried out terror attacks, glorified terrorism and made antisemitic statements.
The group frequently accused Israel of human rights violations, including labeling it an apartheid state.
