Israel revokes citizenship from two Palestinians ahead of deporting them

Israel has revoked the citizenship of two Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem and is preparing to deport them to the occupied West Bank or Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the decision affecting Mahmoud Ahmed and Muhammad Ahmed Hussein al-Halasa, who were convicted by Israeli courts of carrying out deadly attacks. This is the first application of a 2023 law that permits the government to rescind citizenship or residency from Palestinians accused of committing “acts of terror”. The Adala legal centre condemned the move as an unprecedented violation of international law, stating it turns citizenship into a conditional privilege that can be revoked at will.