Netanyahu approves the deportation of two Jerusalemite prisoners to Gaza and the revocation of their residency permits… and decisions to revoke the residency permits of others
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the deportation of two Palestinian prisoners from Jerusalem to the Gaza Strip, along with the revocation of their permanent residency permits.
The decision targeted Muhammad Ahmad Hussein al-Halsa from the Jabal al-Mukaber neighborhood and Mahmoud Ahmad, a released prisoner from the Kafr Aqab neighborhood north of Jerusalem. Both were to be deported to the Gaza Strip and have their residency permits revoked.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu said he had signed deportation orders for the released prisoner and another prisoner still serving his sentence in Israeli prisons, following their indictment for carrying out stabbing and shooting attacks in occupied Jerusalem. He vowed that "many more like them are on the way."
In February 2023, the Knesset approved a measure to revoke the citizenship or residency permits of Palestinian prisoners who receive financial aid from the Palestinian Authority and to deport them. The measure passed with 95 votes in favor and 9 opposed.
This marks the first time Israel has implemented this measure, three years after its approval by the Knesset.
It is worth noting that Mahmoud Ahmed, a released prisoner from Kafr Aqab, was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. After serving his sentence, he was released following his conviction for membership in a Fatah military cell responsible for multiple shooting attacks.
Meanwhile, it was decided to deport and revoke the residency permit of prisoner Muhammad Ahmed Hussein al-Halsa, a resident of Jabal al-Mukabber, who has been serving an 18-year sentence since 2016 after being convicted of a stabbing attack in the Armon Hanatziv settlement.
Coalition chairman Ofir Katz announced that the security authorities, the Attorney General, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on behalf of the Interior Minister, approved the practical basis for deportation. He indicated that the relevant residency revocation and deportation documents have been signed, and some prisoners are now in the process of undergoing these procedures.
Decisions to deport released prisoners from Jerusalem persist, now stripping their right to permanent residency, marking a new escalation against Jerusalemite prisoners. Recently, 8 prisoners, including those released in the exchange deal, received deportation orders from Jerusalem.’
