Gaza Herald – Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has announced the closure of its Gaza office after nearly 15 years of operation, citing escalating Israeli threats, defamation campaigns, and punitive measures targeting the organization and its staff.
The rights group said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to protect its personnel following the intensified campaign aimed at undermining its work documenting Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.
According to Euro-Med Monitor, Israeli officials, government bodies, public figures, and media platforms have recently launched coordinated efforts to discredit the organization, particularly after it published a report detailing reports of sexual violence against Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention centers.
The organization stated that the campaign sought to link its independent human rights work to political accusations, creating an environment that could expose staff members to direct or indirect harm. It also reported receiving threats against several of its personnel, including death threats directed at prominent members involved in documenting events in Gaza.
At the end of May, Israeli occupation reportedly imposed movement restrictions on 40 individuals affiliated with Euro-Med Monitor, including board members, employees, volunteers, and partners. The organization said the measures form part of broader efforts to hinder its ability to monitor and document developments in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Despite the closure of its Gaza office, Euro-Med Monitor emphasized that it will continue its human rights work and maintain its commitment to documenting violations, supporting victims, and preserving evidence and testimonies.
“The closure of the office does not mean the suspension of our work,” the organization said in a statement. “It is a response to legitimate security concerns in light of increasing threats against our staff.”
Euro-Med Monitor held Israeli occupation responsible for the safety of its employees, volunteers, and partners both inside and outside Gaza. It called on the international community, including the United Nations, the European Union, and states party to the Geneva Conventions, to condemn the campaign of intimidation and retaliation against human rights defenders.
The organization argued that the measures taken against it are part of a broader pattern targeting journalists, humanitarian workers, and human rights advocates in Gaza, warning that such actions threaten efforts to document violations and pursue international accountability.
“Our work did not begin because conditions were safe or easy,” Euro-Med Monitor said. “And it will not end because the cost of that work has increased.”
