Jerusalem: The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) have raised alarms over the Israeli authorities' decision to deport two Jerusalemite prisoners, one of whom is a former detainee. This move is perceived as a significant and concerning precedent that could potentially endanger thousands of detainees and former prisoners in Jerusalem and the territories occupied in 1948, including those with Israeli citizenship and Jerusalem identity cards.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Commission and the Society revealed in a joint statement that the decision stems from a law enacted by the Israeli occupation in 2023, which allows for the revocation of citizenship and residency. This law is viewed as a strategic measure to diminish the Palestinian presence in the 1948 territories and Jerusalem. The statement highlighted that Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, have openly declared their intentions to displace and deport Palestinians, underscoring the severity of the situation.
The organizations clarified that deportations under this law are executed either to the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. The families of the two prisoners reported that they were not officially notified about the revocation of their citizenship and residency, learning instead through media outlets that deportation orders had been issued.
The Commission and the Society emphasized that this action marks a new phase in targeting detainees and former prisoners in Jerusalem and the 1948 territories. The systematic policy, driven by discriminatory legislation, aims to forcibly displace citizens by imposing stringent restrictions on various aspects of their lives. This is part of a broader strategy to undermine the Palestinian population in these regions.
The statement further elaborated that Jerusalemites, even before recent events, have faced escalating Israeli measures akin to an extension of the Nakba. These include intensified detentions, demolitions, land seizures, property confiscations, and deportation orders, notably affecting areas around Al-Aqsa Mosque. Additionally, the imposition of heavy taxes and fines, along with organized acts of terror, are seen as tools of systematic forced displacement.
The Commission and the Society criticized the law's implementation and the occupation's intent to expand its reach as a new legal instrument for forced displacement. They urged UN bodies to address the ongoing Israeli actions, which they described as an extension of genocide, targeting Palestinian citizens, destroying their livelihoods, and coercing them into forced displacement.
The organizations reaffirmed that deportation is one of the most severe measures, constituting a war crime and a crime against humanity, as outlined in the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.