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State Department spokesman Ned Price held a news briefing on the day Israel raided the offices of several Palestinian advocacy groups it had previously blacklisted as terrorist organizations, sealing entrances and declaring them closed.
Watch Price’s remarks in the player above.
Western diplomats visited one of the offices hours later in a show of support for the outlawed groups. The U.S. State Department expressed concern about the raids and said it was seeking more information from senior Israeli officials.
The raids marked a major escalation against the civil society organizations, which Israel has outlawed over claims that they have ties to a militant group, a charge they deny. Israel has provided little evidence to back up its accusations. Nine European countries have rejected Israel’s charges against the groups, citing a lack of evidence.
READ MORE: Report says ‘perpetual’ Israeli occupation of Palestinian areas is the root of tensions
Israel claims the groups are linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a secular, left-wing movement with a political party as well as an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis. Israel outlawed the groups last year.
Price told reporters in Washington that the U.S. was “concerned” about the raids and closures, adding that civil society is an “integral element to thriving democracies.”
He said Israeli officials have pledged to provide further information, without detailing what has been received so far or what conclusions U.S. officials have drawn from it.
The Israeli military said it closed seven institutions and seized their property in Thursday’s raids. The military did not immediately explain the discrepancy in the numbers, between groups designated and groups raided.
By Associated Press
By Fares Akram, Sam McNeil, Associated Press
By Associated Press
Associated Press Associated Press
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