Palestinian children's charity closes in wake of Israeli pressure

A prominent Palestinian children’s rights charity has shut down its operations after decades of documenting violations against Palestinian children, blaming sustained Israeli pressure and restrictions.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday night, Defence for Children International - Palestine (DCIP) said it had been forced to end its work due to an increasingly hostile environment that made continuing operations for the charity impossible.

“After 35 years of defending Palestinian children’s rights, we are not able to overcome operational challenges resulting from Israel’s targeted criminalisation of Palestinian human rights organisations,” the charity, which is headquartered in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said in its post.