Israel deported two Palestinians from East Jerusalem and revoked their Israeli citizenship or identity by a decision signed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the first implementation of the 2023 citizenship withdrawal law.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 00:26

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an order on Tuesday requiring the deportation and withdrawal of citizenship of two Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem who hold Israeli citizenship, after they were convicted of carrying out attacks targeting Israelis.

This measure comes as the first application of a law passed in 2023, allowing the withdrawal of Israeli citizenship or cancellation of the residence permit of those convicted of carrying out attacks against Israelis and the provision of financial aid to their families by the Palestinian Authority after their arrest.

According to what Netanyahu announced, the decision relates to "withdrawing citizenship and deporting two Israeli terrorists who carried out knife and firearm attacks against Israeli civilians, and were rewarded by the Palestinian Authority for their criminal acts."

The text stated that other similar decisions are expected to be issued in the coming period.

Without Netanyahu mentioning the names of the Palestinians targeted by the decision, as he leads one of the most extreme right-wing governments in the history of Israel, several Israeli media outlets reported that they are Muhammad Hammad al-Salhi and Muhammad Halsa, both of whom are residents of East Jerusalem.

Israel's control over the West Bank and East Jerusalem goes back to the June 1967 war, after which it annexed the eastern part of the Holy City in a move that was not recognized by the international community.

Read also: Israel demolishes the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem, and Guterres urges its restoration without delay

According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, which monitors the conditions of detainees in Israeli prisons, Al-Salhi is a "liberated prisoner who was released in 2024" after spending 23 years in prison, and he holds Israeli citizenship.

As for Muhammad Halsa, he holds the Israeli identity card that the Israeli authorities grant to Palestinians residing in East Jerusalem, and which is considered a residence permit that does not amount to Israeli citizenship.

According to the testimony of one of Halasa’s relatives, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison when he was a minor, and so far he has served about half of his sentence, adding that the prisoner held Israeli citizenship, but it was withdrawn from him 18 months ago.

Several Israeli media outlets also reported that the expulsion procedure against Al-Salhi will be implemented soon, while the deportation penalty will not be applied to Halasa until after the end of his prison term.

When the law was passed, the Adalah Center - an Israeli non-governmental organization concerned with defending the rights of the Arab minority - denounced the text, considering that it “exclusively targets Palestinians” and deepens “ethnic division and Jewish superiority.”

The law includes the possibility of exiling Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis to the West Bank or Gaza Strip.

At the beginning of 2025, the Palestinian Authority announced the cessation of financial allocations to the families of Palestinians detained in Israel for carrying out attacks against Israelis, while the Israeli government insists that this system is still in place in other forms.

France 24/AFP

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