Israel passes law allowing deportation of relatives of Palestinian attackers

The Israeli Knesset has approved a bill that would see family members of Palestinian attackers deported for to up to 20 years.

It would apply to Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up about 20 percent of the population, and residents of occupied East Jerusalem.

They would be deported, either to the Gaza Strip or another location, for a period of 7 to 20 years. Israel is still carrying out a brutal war in Gaza, killing tens of thousands of people and most of the population has been internally displaced, often multiple times .

It was unclear if it would apply in the occupied West Bank, where Israel already has a longstanding policy of collective punishment and demolishing the family homes of attackers. Rights groups have often condemned Israel for its actions in this regard.

The Knesset also approved a temporary five-year measure that would allow the imprisonment of minors under the age of 14 if they are deemed guilty by state authorities of being part of Palestinian factions.

Regarding the deportation law, 61 MKs voted in favour and 41 voted against. The temporary measure was supported by 55 MKs while 33 voted against.

The bill has previously failed to be made law and will most likely be challenged in court again.

"The family member (a first-degree relative) will be deported to the Gaza Strip or to another destination determined according to the circumstances," if it is decided that they knew in advance that a member of their family was planning to carry out a "terrorist act" and did not make all the required efforts to prevent it, the text of the draft bill read.

It was put forward by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Additionally, the law gives the interior minister the power to issue an deportation order to a family member if they "expresses support or solidarity with the [militant] operation, or if he publishes words of praise, sympathy or encouragement."

A deportee who holds Israeli citizenship would be expelled from Israel for a period of no less than seven years and no more than 15 years, according to the law. Non-citizens will be deported for a period of no less than 10 years and no more than 20 years.

The law also states that the police will be given the power to enforce deportation, "including the power to enter any place, remove any person and use reasonable force to do so."