Israel plans expulsion of two Jerusalem Palestinians after imprisonment, raising fears deportation becomes a routine post-prison measure.
Key Takeaways
- Israel is preparing to deport two Jerusalem Palestinians after serving prison sentences under a 2023 law.
- The measure is tied to allegations they received Palestinian Authority stipends.
- Families learned of the decision through media rather than official notification.
- Legal groups warn the policy may create stateless persons and normalize forced removal.
- Palestinian factions say the move signals a broader strategy to reshape Jerusalem’s demographic reality.
Deportation Decision Announced
Israeli authorities are moving forward with the deportation of two Palestinian Jerusalem residents — former prisoner Mohammad Ahmad and detainee Mohammad Halseh — under legislation allowing the revocation of residency or citizenship from Palestinians accused of receiving financial assistance from the Palestinian Authority.
The law, passed in February 2023 with broad parliamentary backing, authorizes Israel’s Interior Ministry to strip legal status and relocate individuals to Palestinian-administered areas after they complete their prison sentences.
Likud Knesset member Ofir Katz said “the procedures necessary to deport two terrorists have been completed,” describing the measure as a precedent and declaring that “many others are on the way,” according to Israeli media cited by Palestinian outlets.
Relatives of the two men said they were not contacted by occupation authorities and discovered the decision through Israeli news reports.
Under the legislation, Israeli occupation authorities claim stipends paid to prisoners’ families constitute compensation for attacks. Palestinian officials maintain they are social welfare payments to families who lost income due to imprisonment.
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Mohammad Ahmad: 23 Years in Prison
Mohammad Ahmad, born in March 1978 and originally from the depopulated village of Bir Ma’in near Ramla, spent nearly a quarter century in Israeli prisons after his arrest in June 2001.
Israeli authorities accused him of involvement in a Fatah-affiliated armed cell that carried out shooting operations during the Second Intifada.
During his incarceration Ahmad became known among prisoners for educational and social initiatives. He completed a university degree in social work while imprisoned and published a poetry collection titled My Image Was There, reflecting on confinement and exile.
Fellow detainees said he volunteered for nearly ten years in juvenile prisoner sections — the longest such service among prisoners — mentoring minors detained at ages as young as twelve.
He reportedly hand-sewed clothing for children whose uniforms were too large and organized educational sessions to help them continue school studies.
He also developed artistic work inside prison, painting murals across detention wards, including a six-meter wall painting of cartoon characters intended to reduce the harsh atmosphere experienced by incarcerated youth.
Ahmad was released in June 2024 after completing his sentence. Months later Israeli media reported plans to revoke his legal status; his family appealed the decision. The new order adds deportation to the earlier revocation attempt.
Mohammad Halseh: Arrested as a Minor
Mohammad Halseh, born in February 1999 in Jabal al-Mukabber in occupied East Jerusalem, was arrested at age 17 in May 2016 after a stabbing attack in the Armon Hanatziv settlement built on land belonging to his hometown.
Two Israelis were injured in the incident.
He was sentenced to 18 years in prison and is scheduled for release in 2034.
Israeli media reported he will be deported immediately upon release, despite being a lifelong Jerusalem resident.
Prisoner affairs specialists in Jerusalem say the case is significant because Halseh was a minor at arrest and because deportation is being planned years before the completion of his sentence — indicating authorities intend removal as part of punishment rather than a later administrative decision.
They warned similar files are being prepared for other Jerusalem detainees whose charges resemble his case.
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Legal Debate Over Status and Statelessness
The Adalah legal center said the revocation-and-deportation framework violates international law, including protections against statelessness and the right to nationality under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Because most Palestinians in Jerusalem hold permanent residency rather than citizenship, revocation automatically places them at risk of removal from their birthplace.
Legal analysts say the measure effectively converts imprisonment into a pathway to expulsion.
Unlike deportations to a country of citizenship, the targeted individuals would be transferred to areas where they may lack legal status entirely.
Families fear deportees could be forced into Gaza or the West Bank regardless of their original homes inside Jerusalem.
Palestinian Reactions
Hamas described the decision as part of a broader displacement policy aimed at reducing the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and facilitating annexation.
The movement said deportation “cannot be separated from settlement expansion and Judaization policies,” according to a statement reported by regional media.
Palestinian groups warned the measure transforms prison sentences into permanent banishment and called on international organizations to intervene, arguing forced transfer of protected persons from occupied territory violates international humanitarian law.
(AJA, Israeli media, Adalah, Anadolu, PC)
