No More Sanctuary: Israel Begins Deporting Citizen Terrorists to Gaza
In a historic first, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed orders to strip the citizenship of two Israeli terrorists and deport them to the Gaza Strip following their receipt of rewards from the Palestinian Authority.
For the first time in the history of the State of Israel, the government has exercised its legal authority to strip Israeli citizens of their status and deport them to the Gaza Strip due to their involvement in terrorism. This landmark move comes three years after the Knesset passed a law targeting terrorists who receive financial "pay for slay" rewards from the Palestinian Authority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Tuesday that the final legal and security hurdles have been cleared for the immediate expulsion of two residents of Jerusalem who were convicted of serious attacks against civilians and soldiers. The decision marks a major escalation in the state's internal war against terror, signaling that Israeli citizenship is no longer a shield for those who carry out violent acts against the nation.
The First Deportees
The two individuals facing immediate exile are Mahmoud Ahmad and Muhammad Ahmad Hussein Halisi, both of whom have extensive criminal records involving deadly violence. Mahmoud Ahmad, a resident of Kafr 'Aqab in northern Jerusalem, was sentenced in 2001 to 23 years in prison for a long series of shooting attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians, as well as weapon procurement and the planning of mass-casualty events. Having completed his sentence and been released in 2024, his expulsion is set to be carried out immediately.
The second terrorist, Muhammad Ahmad Hussein Halisi from Jabel Mukaber, was convicted of a stabbing attack in 2016 at the Armon Hanatziv promenade when he was just 16 years old. Halisi targeted two elderly women, leaving them with severe injuries, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Under the signed orders, he will be transferred directly to the Gaza Strip upon his release from custody. These cases were selected because both men received monthly stipends from the Palestinian Authority, a condition required by the 2023 law to justify the loss of residency or citizenship.
A New Standard of Justice
The implementation of this law follows years of persistent pressure from Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz, who authored the legislation. Katz expressed a sense of victory, stating, "I did not give up and I did not let up. For three years I pressured the system so that my law would be implemented, and finally it is happening. This is how you fight terrorism." He noted that the factual infrastructure for these deportations was meticulously vetted by security agencies, the Attorney General, and the Prime Minister’s office to ensure they would withstand legal scrutiny.
Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized the moral and strategic necessity of the move, declaring, "I signed this morning on the revocation of citizenship and the deportation of two Israeli terrorists who carried out stabbing and shooting attacks against Israeli citizens and were rewarded for their criminal acts by the Palestinian Authority." He further warned that this is only the beginning of a broader campaign, adding that "many more are on the way." By removing terrorists from Israeli society and placing them in Gaza, the government intends to create a powerful deterrent and ensure that those who enjoy the benefits of Israeli identity while working to destroy the state lose that privilege permanently.