November 20, 2023.
Crackdowns on basic freedoms since the start of the war
Quick look: HRDF human rights lawyer indicted for “incitement to terror;” extreme police violence; mass crackdown on voices of dissent; Issa Amro repeatedly targeted for expulsion from his home in Hebron.
October 27, 2023.
Urgent: Live ammunition to be used on peaceful protestors
This new measure joins several others advanced by Itamar Ben Gvir in the last weeks, such as the establishment of armed local patrol groups (Kitot Koninut), the easing of requirements for obtaining gun license by civilians, and the distribution of 10,000 rifles en masse to Israeli residents and settlers.
September 4, 2023.
2023 Aachen Peace Prize Ceremony
We are proud and humbled to share with you that the Human Rights Defenders Fund has been awarded the esteemed Aachen Peace Prize for 2023.
This award is not just for us. It is for the tens of thousands of human rights defenders on the ground fighting fiercely and courageously for justice every day between the river and the sea.
![]("]"]https://hrdf.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/No-Holiness-in-an-Occupied-City-1024x682.jpeg "No Holiness in an Occupied City")
July 11, 2023.
Eviction of Ghaith-Sub Laban Family and Political Arrest of Gil Hammerschlag
In the early hours of the morning between 5:00 and 6:00 am, Israeli police forces broke into the home of the Ghaith-Sub Laban family in Jerusalem’s Old City quarters, and evicted by force the multi-generational family who has lived there for 70 years since 1953. Shortly thereafter, settlers entered the apartment…
![]("]"]https://hrdf.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/issa-amro-appeal-pic-e1701351119558.jpeg "issa amro appeal pic")
June 27, 2023.
Update: Partial success in appeal of Issa Amro case
The entire case from start to finish has been a clear targeted attempt to suppress Amro’s human rights work and political activities, violating basic human rights and protections that military court law does not guarantee to Palestinians living under occupation. HRDF ultimately secured acquittals for 14 out of 18 counts throughout the course of the entire trial, and secured a reduced sentence that ensured Amro will not face any prison time.
May 24, 2023.
Urgent: Taxation bill scheduled for Sunday vote
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation is scheduled to vote on a bill that would impose a 65% tax on civil society organizations funded by “foreign state entities.” If this taxation bill passes, it will effectively cripple all operations of human rights organizations in Israel, who rely heavily on grants from partner foundations funded by international state entities.
May 17, 2023.
Abductions and Arbitrary Detention in the South Hebron Hills
We have monitored a total of 28 individuals who were abducted with concealed whereabouts between April and May, as part and parcel of larger efforts to expel Palestinians from the area.
