Ramallah: In a first, the Israeli regime has begun issuing ‘administrative expulsion orders’ for Palestinian teenagers in occupied Jerusalem.
Previously, the regime has practiced administrative detention, which is rejected by the internationally community, in which it holds Palestinians in jail without charges.
The new administrative expulsion orders could facilitate the mass deportation or expulsion of civilian Palestinians from their homes in occupied Jerusalem, according to Amani Sarahna, a senior official at the Palestinian Prisoners Club.
In the past, the Israeli Central Court has issued restraining orders preventing Palestinians from entering occupied Jerusalem, but this is the first time military commanders are issuing expulsion orders.
“The regime has issued deportation orders of teenagers between the ages of 16 to 20 from different neighbourhoods in occupied east Jerusalem, “she told Gulf News. “Its shocking.”
The military commanders also issue a map of Jerusalem’s boundaries illustrated the areas they are not allowed to approach.
“There is an extreme intensification of Israeli punitive measures against Palestinians,” Amani added.
So far, the Prisoners Club has issued letters of objection to Israeli authorities over the orders but lawyers will not be able to see the evidence against their clients due to the use of ‘secret’ evidence issued by Israeli security services.
The deportees are all residents of occupied Jerusalem and hold blue-coloured Israeli-issued Jerusalem identity cards. It is unclear whether IDs would be revoked after expulsions.
Last week, Gulf News reported of a systematic Israeli plan to shift Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem as well as the removal of Arabic signage from a popular marketplace.
Palestinians accuse Israel of trying to change the facts on the ground and Judaise Jerusalem completely, erasing all traces of Palestinian and Muslim heritage.
Violent clashes in the past few months between Israelis and Palestinians which has killed over 100 Palestinians began when Jews began illegal raids of Al Haram Al Sharif.
Under a status quo agreement, Jews are allowed to visit the Muslim holy site, which they believe was built on the Temple Mount, but not perform religious rituals.
