Tel Aviv: Israel has decided, for the first time, to revoke the citizenship of two Palestinians and deport them to the occupied West Bank or the Gaza Strip, enforcing a controversial 2023 law that permits such action.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the decision on Tuesday, February 10, confirming that Mahmoud Ahmed and Mohammad Ahmed Hussein al-Halasa would be expelled after their citizenship was withdrawn.
In a statement posted on X, Netanyahu said he had signed an order against “two Israeli terrorists” responsible for stabbing and shooting attacks on Israeli civilians. He credited coalition chairman Ofir Katz with promoting the legislation and indicated that additional cases could follow.
Israeli media reported that both men were convicted of deadly attacks, which authorities cited as the legal basis for revocation under the amendment passed by the Knesset in 2023. The legislation permits the withdrawal of citizenship or permanent residency from Palestinians accused of “acts of terror”, followed by deportation to the West Bank or Gaza.
Mahmoud Ahmed, from Kafr Aqab in occupied East Jerusalem, was charged over a series of shooting attacks in 2021 targeting Israeli soldiers and civilians. After serving a 23-year sentence, he was released in 2024 and is set for immediate deportation.
Mohammad Ahmed Hussein al-Halasa, a resident of Jabel Mukaber, was sentenced in 2016 to 16 years in prison for a stabbing attack. He is scheduled for release in 2034, after which the deportation order will take effect.
Legal response
The Haifa-based rights organisation Adalah condemned the decision as a “blatant violation of international law”. It said the orders amount to the exile of Palestinian citizens and warned that the measure erodes the legal protections associated with nationality.
The legislation covers both Palestinian citizens of Israel and permanent residents of occupied East Jerusalem, many of whom hold residency permits rather than Israeli passports. Rights groups have cautioned that stripping nationality on security grounds may contravene international conventions, particularly if it results in statelessness.
The move comes amid continuing hostilities in Gaza Strip. Israel launched a large-scale military campaign on October 7, 2023, following attacks by Palestinian armed groups. The conflict has caused extensive humanitarian suffering across the enclave, home to roughly 2.4 million people.
