Palestinian orphans protest against closure of relief bodies

PIC reported:

Hundreds of men, women and children participated in a demonstration on Saturday evening for "the orphans' sponsors" in Kafr Kanna in the 1948-occupied Palestine.

The march was in protest against Israel's decision to close 17 of the Islamic Movement’s institutions, including the “Humanitarian Relief Foundation", which is concerned with the affairs of orphans and their sponsorship.

The demonstration, which was organized by the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens in Israel, started from "Othman bin Affan" mosque in Kafr Kana. The demonstrators chanted slogans and raised banners condemning the ban on the Foundation which supports orphans. Dozens of orphans, who will be deprived of their monthly allowances as a result of the Israeli decision, participated in the demonstration.

Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement, and his deputy, Sheikh Kamal Khatib, along with social and political leaders and figures, and a crowd of supporters of the Islamic Movement participated in the march.

In the same context, a rally was organized, in which leader of the High Follow-Up Committee, Muhammad Barakeh, delivered a speech. He stressed that the Committee stands by the Islamic Movement and its humanitarian projects carried out for the benefit of the Palestinian people.

He said that the Israeli decision to close those institutions is political and is a criminal and racist act.

He stressed on the need for solidarity and unity among the Palestinians against these decisions, which aim to hit the very existence and steadfastness of the Palestinian people.

For his part, the lawyer Hussein Abu Hussein, a sponsor for orphans, denounced the decision of closing these institutions, and said that it is an illegal decision, targeting Palestinians and the projects for orphans' sponsorship. He affirmed that humanitarian projects will not stop, especially the Islamic Movement projects, topped by those supporting the occupied al-Quds ('Jerusalem') and al-Aqsa Mosque.

Sheikh Raed Salah, in his turn, spoke about the Israeli unjust decision and stressed the need to support such institutions.