Israel raided a Palestinian religious affairs office on Monday and ordered a school, a clinic and a mosque shut for three years in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reported. An Israeli military official said the raid in the city of Nablus was aimed against "the so-called charitable organizations." Hassan Hilali, director of the Palestinian Religious Affairs Ministry's office in the city, said "we found broken doors and cabinets overturned" and documents appeared to have been taken. Hilali said soldiers posted notices on the doors of the high school, mosque and clinic saying they would remain closed for three years. Israel's Haaretz newspaper said the Israeli military was planning to step up a campaign against a Hamas-linked charitable network in the West Bank. Hamas regards these organizations as legitimate providers of services and says they have nothing to do with the group's fight against Israel. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in Gaza the Israeli raid was a crime. "We call upon all concerned parties to compel the Occupation to stop its aggression," he said, using a Hamas term for Israel.
