Israel: The Israeli military expelled an alleged Palestinian militant from the West Bank to the fenced-in Gaza Strip yesterday without charge or trial, a policy condemned by human rights groups.
Mr Kamal Idris turned up at a Palestinian checkpoint near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim in the Gaza Strip after being taken to the area by the Israeli army, witnesses said. The army said it expelled Mr Idris over his membership of a "terrorist group" in the West Bank city of Hebron responsible for attacks on Israelis.
Last month, the military announced it intended to expel 18 West Bank Palestinians to the Gaza Strip for alleged militant activity. Israel's Supreme Court, acting on their appeals, issued temporary injunctions suspending the expulsions.
In a statement, the army said the court had issued a ruling rejecting Mr Idris's appeal and he had subsequently been moved.
Describing the expulsion as "residency demarcation", the army said the move was a "preventative measure" taken against Palestinians who could not be put on trial for fear of exposing intelligence sources who provided information about them.
Meanwhile, Palestinians said yesterday that a proposed prisoner swap between Israel and Lebanon's Hizbullah group would be meaningless if it excluded militant compatriots serving long terms in Israeli jails.
Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved trading 400 Lebanese and Palestinians for an Israeli businessman and the bodies of three soldiers. but refused to free anyone involved in killing Israelis as Hizbullah demands, putting the deal in doubt. - (Reuters)