Israel Set to Deport Two Palestinians to Gaza

03/09/2002| IslamWeb

HIGHLIGHTS: Ereqat Describes Decision as Marking a Black Day for Human Rights and Hamas Threatens Retaliation with an Escalation of Violence||Two More Palestinian Civilians Killed by Occupation Army Tank Fire Near Nablus||Occupation Forces Kill Resistance Man Near an an Internationally Illegal Settlement in Gaza||Resistance Groups Reject Yahya's Call for Stopping Violent Resistance||Two Resistance Groups Jointly Attack an Israeli Military Convoy|| STORY: Israel's highest court on Tuesday approved the expulsion from the West Bank of two Palestinians accused of helping their brother with a Resistance bombing, but it rejected the deportation of a third Palestinian.

They were the first such cases brought to the Supreme Court since the Israeli government recently adopted the expulsion policy as part of its response to a wave of Palestinian resistance attacks in response to an on-going Israeli policy of targeted Killings against Resistance activists.

Senior Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said the ruling marked "a black day for human rights." Hamas, the main group behind a wave of Resistance bombings on Israelis, threatened to retaliate with an escalation of violence.

The court ruled that a sister and brother, Intisar and Kifah Ajouri, could be expelled to the fenced-in Gaza Strip for two years because they are accused of helping their brother, suspected of masterminding a bombing, to hide from security forces and move explosives.

Erekat told Reuters: "Now Israel approved in principle the concept of collective punishment. We will seek the help of the International Court of Justice and the (U.N.) Security Council to stop the flagrant human rights violations,"
The court -- the last course of appeal in the case -- rejected deporting a third Palestinian, Abed Nassar Asida, whose brother was accused of coordinating two shooting attacks that killed 17 people.

RIGHTS ACTIVISTS SEE RULING AS BITTER-SWEET

Human rights activists, who regard the expulsion policy as a violation of international law, saw the court decision as bitter-sweet because the judges ruled the government could not expel Palestinians merely as a deterrent to future attacks.
The government hoped the new tactic would discourage potential bombers by showing them their families would be punished.

"The importance we see in the decision is that there is a norm that the court ruled that deterrence cannot be a cause," said lawyer Leah Tzemel, who represented the Ajouri siblings.

She denied her clients acted as their brother's accomplices.

The Supreme Court ruled that deportation could be carried out if there is "the existence of a reasonable possibility that the person himself presents a real danger and that assigning his place of residence will help to avert this danger."

It was unclear how quickly the government would carry out the expulsions.

Rafida Ajouri, mother of Intisar and Kifah, said: "Gaza is a part of our country. Both will come back in two or three years." Ahmed, their brother, called the ruling a "terrorist act."

Overnight, two Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli occupation army tank fire during an army attack in the village of Burin, near the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.

HAMAS THREATENS RETALIATION

Hamas official Ismail Abu Shanab said the deportation ruling was a "grave escalation" which "will be met by an escalation in the Palestinian resistance."

The Resistance group, which has killed dozens of Israelis in Resistance bombings in response to Israeli targeted Killings, on Monday had rejected an appeal by the Palestinian Authority's top security official urging Palestinians to abandon violence in their uprising.

Palestinian Interior Minister Abdel Razzak al-Yahya's call in the interview with Reuters was the most far-reaching plea for non-violence made by a Palestinian leadership member since the uprising began.

"I call for civil resistance within the framework of the political struggle...All forms of Palestinian violence have to stop," said Yahya, who is overseeing security reform which the United States has demanded of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

A senior Israeli official said he welcomed the call but added Israel wanted deeds, and not just words. "If they take the right action, we will reciprocate," he said.

Yahya said Palestinian society was in a "state of chaos" and "continuous (Israeli) closures and siege" that made Palestinians susceptible to what he called radical ideas.

Israel currently occupies six Palestinian cities after a West Bank offensive in June.

The Israeli occupation army said on Tuesday its forces killed a Palestinian Resistance man near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip.

The armed wings of the Palestinian factions Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Fatah said they carried out a joint grenade and machinegun attack on an Israeli convoy.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinians Kifah Ajouri (L) his sister Intisar Ajouri (C) and Abed Nasser Asida sit in Israel's Supreme Court in Jerusalem, September 3, 2002. Israel's Supreme Court ruled in favor of the deportation of Kifah and Intisar Ajouri, accused by Israel of assisting their brother to carry out a bombing, but it rejected the deportation of Asida. (Gil Cohen Magen/Reuters)
Israel Set to Deport Two Palestinians to Gaza