Israeli authorities prevented Al-Haq General Director Shawan Jabarin from traveling outside Palestine at the Allenby Bridge on Friday.
The travel ban halts Jabarin’s departure into Jordan as he prepared to attend the meeting of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, according to statements from Al-Haq and Al-Quds Al-Arabi. Security personnel at the crossing interrogated Jabarin about his travel plans and verbally informed him of the restriction issued by the Shin Bet intelligence service citing security grounds, Sawa News Agency reported.
International organizations condemned the restriction. DAWN executive director Omar Shakir addressed the development.
Israel’s travel ban against the head of one of the most respected civil society organizations in Palestine and across the world is the latest escalation in its all-out assault on human rights advocacy and international law
Omar Shakir, executive director of DAWN
Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Israel-Palestine director at DAWN, said members of Congress should make clear that the persecution of human rights defenders and attempts to silence civil society are not in line with American values, and demanded that Israel lift the travel ban against Jabarin and the outlawing of Al-Haq.
Human Rights Watch Middle East and North Africa director Balkees Jarrah said the ban is an effort to punish advocates representing victims of serious crimes.
Photo: palsawa.com
The ban is the latest escalation of Israel’s campaign to silence Palestinian rights groups that document violations of international law and seek accountability. Governments should act to support and protect Palestinian civil society and ensure that they’re able to continue their invaluable work.
Balkees Jarrah, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch
The new restriction follows prior measures against Al-Haq.
The latest travel restriction coincides with international pressures, including U.S. sanctions imposed on Al-Haq in September 2025 due to the organization’s engagement with the International Criminal Court. Al-Haq continues its critical human rights work alongside the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights. DAWN advocacy director Raed Jarrar spoke on the impact of these policies.
From travel bans and entry restrictions, Israel continues to cage Palestinians in.
Photo: Al-Haq
Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at DAWN
According to the Israeli human rights group HaMoked, the Israeli military, acting at the direction of the Shin Bet secret police, maintains active travel bans on an estimated 10,000 Palestinians at any given time, generally imposed on an individual basis.
In a 2016 ruling reviewing an appeal against one such travel ban, the Israeli High Court of Justice reprimanded the military commander of the West Bank and the West Bank Legal Advisor for issuing security-related travel bans without first reviewing the underlying intelligence.
