Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Rights group: Israel forcibly transfers Palestinians from West Bank to Gaza

"Israel has recently stepped up its policy of forcibly transferring Palestinians from the West Bank to Gaza, a human rights group said on Wednesday.

B'tselem, the Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, argues that thousands of Palestinians may be liable to imminent deportation and that Israel is making them "illegal dwellers in their own houses".

Since November 2007, Israel has required Palestinians whose registered domicile is Gaza, to apply for a temporary residence permit if they wish to live in the West Bank. This policy, B'tselem argues, also applies to Palestinians who have lived in the West Bank for many years and even to some who were born in the territory.

The Israel Defense Forces, the group says, has recently increased its attempts to locate people who meet these criteria and deport them."

No comments: