Israel bans families of deported Palestinian prisoners from travelling

Israeli authorities are preventing dozens of families of Palestinian prisoners, who were deported to Egypt earlier this year, from travelling out of the occupied West Bank to meet their relatives, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Abdullah al-Zaghari, said on Wednesday.

Calling the restrictions a “systematic policy of collective punishment,” al-Zaghari said many of the deported prisoners are in poor health and require continuous medical attention, as well as the emotional support of their families. “This policy deprives both the prisoners and their families of the right to reunite and care for one another,” he told reporters, as quoted by Xinhua News Agency.

Al-Zaghari urged international organisations and humanitarian agencies to intervene to end the ban, noting that the future of the deportees remains uncertain. “Several issues concerning their status are unresolved, including whether they will be permanently resettled in other countries,” he added.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Israel deported 383 Palestinian detainees to Egypt this year under a prisoner-hostage exchange agreement with Hamas. Most of them have remained in Egypt since their release, unable to return home.

As part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel stipulated that Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis would be permanently deported if released and barred from returning to the occupied West Bank.

Israeli authorities have yet to comment on the reported travel restrictions or the allegations of collective punishment.

With IANS inputs