US State Department spokesperson Ned Price holds the daily press briefing in Washington, DC, on Feb. 2, 2021. Photo: US State Department Photo by Ron Przysucha.

i24 News – A senior Israeli defense official speaking on condition of anonymity said on Saturday that the US State Department was duly notified of Israel’s intention to designate six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist entities, a move that appeared to take Washington by surprise.

On Friday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told journalists that Jerusalem “didn’t give us prior warning about this designation,” referring to the decision to blacklist the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC), Addameer, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Al-Haq, Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P), and the Union Of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC).

Price said the US will “seek clarifications” from Israel regarding the decision by Defense Minister Benny Gantz that drew backlash from many international organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which branded it “appalling and unjust.”

Israel’s Defense Ministry said the groups have ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), a left-wing faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.

Israel shared intel with the US on how the six groups “operate as an organized network under the leadership of PLFP,” the security official said on Saturday.