From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Police close Palestinian community center in Jerusalem’s Old City, alleging PA links
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GooglePolice have shuttered a Palestinian community center in the Old City of Jerusalem for half a year, reportedly due to its alleged links to the Palestinian Authority.
Officers issued the order to close the Burj al-Luqluq (“Stork Tower”) community center for a period of six months after raiding its premises this morning, Arabic outlets report.
Responding to a request for comment, police say they issued the closure order based on evidence that “the association was operating in violation of the law, including the receipt of funding linked to organizations affiliated with terrorism.”
According to the Arab48 news outlet, the order, signed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, says that the organization conducted activity “for, on behalf of, or under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority” without obtaining “written authorization.”
The community center says in a press release cited by the outlet that police sealed its headquarters and removed employees from thea offices during a raid at around 10:30 a.m.
The press release calls the closure order “arbitrary” and vows to take the matter to court, noting that the organization is registered with the Jerusalem municipality.
The center was shuttered on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which in past years has seen heightened tensions between Jews and Palestinians as Muslims from across Israel and the West Bank travel to Jerusalem for prayers at the Old City’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Palestinians say the closure is the latest action targeting Palestinians in East Jerusalem, who say they already suffer from widespread neglect at the hands of Israeli authorities.
הרשויות הישראליות פשטו היום וסגרו את המרכז הקהילתי בורג׳ אל־לוקלוק בעיר העתיקה בירושלים, אטמו את שעריו והוציאו צו סגירה. מהלך זה מסמן הסלמה מסוכנת נוספת בפגיעה במוסדות אזרחיים ותרבותיים פלסטיניים במזרח ירושלים.
במשך יותר משלושה עשורים, המרכז שירת אלפי ילדים, צעירים ונשים… pic.twitter.com/dtmPOtPguX
— עיר עמים (@IrAmim) February 17, 2026
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