On Friday evening, May 9, 2003, Israeli troops raided the headquarters of the secretary general of the Palestinian People’s Party in al-Ma’lofiya south al-Bireh. The Israeli troops searched the headquarters and confiscated a large number of files and documents belonging to the Party and Sawt al-Watan magazine, published by the People’s Party.

According to information LAW received and statements of reporters working for Sawt al-Watan magazine as well as Palestinian security sources, the headquarters of the Party and the offices of Sawt al-Watan magazine were ransacked by Israeli troops, who raided the building where the offices are located at 21:30 on Friday evening. The raid came on Friday, which is the official day off for Palestinians.

The Israeli raid resulted in ransacking and rampaging of the offices and of confiscating computers’ hard discs, hard and electronic files belonging to the Party and Sawt al-Watan magazine.

LAW strongly condemns the Israeli forces’ raid on the offices of the People’s Party and Sawt al-Watan magazine and holds the Israeli government accountable for the deterioration of the situation in the Palestinian territories. LAW calls upon the High Contracting Parties of the 4th Geneva Convention to provide protection for the Palestinian civilians and to put an end to Israel’s blatant human rights violations in the Palestinian territories.