140 1‐ Violations Related to Registration According to the information available by ICHR regarding the number of associations registered with the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip in 2010, the number of associations registered is (876) associations,178 distributed as follows: the northern Gaza Strip (132) associations, Gaza City (431) associations, Central governorate (107) associations, Khan Younis (111) associations, Rafah (90) associations. During 2010, a total of (126) associations submitted applications, of which (86) were approved and (40) turned down. 2‐ Attacks on the Work of Associations Attacks on the work of charitable associations in the Gaza Strip during 2010 took different patterns, and are discussed below. A. Closure of Associations and Confiscation of Property Contrary to the provisions of Article (41) of the Association Law, the Security Services of the Ministry of the Interior in Gaza stormed and shut down the headquarters of several associations and confiscated their contents in 2010. In this framework, ICHR documented many cases of closures and incursions carried out by the Security Services, including a raid by members of the Internal Security Service on 31/05/2010 headquarters of four NGOs in Rafah: Sharek Youth Foundation, Future Builders Center (FBC), Al‐Jenoub Association for Woman Health, Women and Child Development Society. They searched these associations and confiscated most of the contents, including computers, monitors, faxes, cameras, papers and reports. They also confiscated the keys and informed them of the closure of those institutions without giving reasons.179 In addition, many associations have been raided and closed by the Security Services of the Ministry of the Interior. On 30/11/2010, a group of police stormed Sharek Youth Foundation and asked the staff to leave the headquarters and turn in the keys under the pretext of a resolution by the Attorney General in Gaza Strip, Judge Mohammad Abed. They also closed all its branches in the Gaza Strip, and confiscated the contents. 178 179 Information available until the end of November 2010. See ICHR monthly report for May, published on its website: www.ichr.ps