Two relatives of a Palestinian who planned a suicide bombing attack in Israel, entered the Gaza Strip through the Netzarim junction Wednesday afternoon. They were previously expected to arrive in the Erez crossing after being deported from their homes in the West Bank to the Gaza Strip.
The Erez crossing was declared a closed military zone. Soldiers covered the area surrounding the site where the deportation was to take place with canvas, apparently in an attempt to prevent press coverage of the expulsion.
The two were given 1,000 shekels ($212) by Israel as an "adjustment grant," as well a change of clothing.
Tension was high on the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing, after the Palestinian Authority announced Wednesday morning that it was refusing to accept the two. The PA leadership instructed forces posted at the Erez crossing not to let the two enter the Gaza Strip, Army Radio reported. If they are barred from entering Gaza, the two will likely have to remain in the border crossing area either in Erez or in Rafah.
The two were taken from the West Bank at approximately 10:30 A.M. (0730 GMT).
The deportation of the two follows Tuesday's ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice which decided that the army was legally entitled to deport the two due to the fact that they had aided an individual in carrying out attacks by hiding him from Israeli security forces and by moving bombs.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat denounced the expulsions Wednesday as a "crime against humanity that violates all human and international laws."
The U.S. State Department reiterated Tuesday its criticism of this decision. The State Department spokesman on Middle Eastern affairs, Greg Sullivan, said that the U.S. expects that Israel's actions in the war against "terror" would be based on information against specific suspects, and not against their relatives.
On his part, Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer threatened Tuesday to deport more Palestinians linked to "terrorists" from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported. During his visit to the West Bank, the defense minister said Israeli security establishments "have other names of Palestinians to be deported to Gaza."
He also expressed his support for an Israeli court's ruling on two palestinians' deportation, saying the deportation would effectually deter Palestinian "terror" attacks.
Arrests
A senior member of Hamas, Farid al Sayed, was nabbed by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Wednesday. Al Sayed was detained in a Hamas office in the city by undercover soldiers who were dressed as Palestinian police officers.
Also Wednesday, a wanted Palestinian man moderately to seriously wounded after a special Israeli unit tried to arrest him in the village of Ilar, northeast of Tulkarem. The soldiers opened fire after the man tried to escape.
Earlier, Israeli troops arrested a senior Tanzim activist in the West Bank city of Hebron. Troops also arrested an armed Palestinian carrying an M-16 rifle, six magazines and a hand gun in Nablus. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
