Israel to strip 2 Arab terrorists of citizenship, expel them to Gaza

For the first time ever, Israel to use law passed three years ago to strip Arab Israeli terrorists of citizenship and expel them to the Gaza Strip.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel is taking steps to expel two Israeli Arab terrorists to the Gaza Strip, marking the first time a law enabling the state to nullify citizenship of convicted terrorists has ever been used.

In February 2023, the Knesset passed legislation empowering the government to strip convicted terrorists of their Israeli citizenship and deport them to the Gaza Strip if they receive Palestinian Authority stipends while in prison.

In the three years since the law was passed, it has never been implemented.

On Tuesday, however, the initiator of the bill, MK Ofir Katz (Likud), announced that the law is now being invoked in two separate cases.

The first terrorist targeted under the law has been identified as Mahmoud Ahmed, who was jailed over a series of shooting attacks and released in 2024.

Ahmed will be stripped of his citizenship and expelled to the Gaza Strip immediately.

The second terrorist subjected to the law is Muhammad Ahmed Hussein al-Halsi, who is currently serving an 18-year sentence for stabbing two elderly women in Jerusalem in 2016. He will be deported upon his release.

Katz said that “many additional terrorists are in the process” of losing their citizenship and facing expulsion under the law.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he had signed the orders against al-Halsi and Ahmed on that morning.

“I signed this morning the revocation of citizenship and deportation of two Israeli terrorists who carried out stabbing and shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and were rewarded for their heinous acts by the Palestinian Authority.”

“I thank Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz for leading the law that will expel them from the State of Israel, and many more like them are on the way.”