 Israeli troops would have the power to deport people within 72 hours |
Israel is set to impose a military order which rights groups say could see tens of thousands of Palestinians deported from the occupied West Bank.
The order, which comes into force on Tuesday, could have "severe ramifications" for people in the West Bank, human rights groups say. It classifies people without the right Israeli paperwork as "infiltrators".
Many people in the West Bank have ID cards from neighbouring countries, or papers that list Gaza as their home.
Many others are married to other Palestinians who at one time lived in refugee camps in neighbouring Jordan, Egypt, Syria or Lebanon, and may not have Israeli-approved ID cards.
The Israeli military says that existing orders already allow for the deportation of West Bank Palestinians deemed to be there illegally, and the new order adds a layer of judicial oversight over deportation procedures.
'Permit'
The wording of the order, known as the Order Regarding Prevention of Infiltration, has been amended from when it was originally drawn up in 1969.
The definition of "infiltrator" was then: "A person who entered the area knowingly and unlawfully after having been present in the east bank of the Jordan, Syria, Egypt or Lebanon following the effective date (of the order being given)."
 |  These military orders belong in an apartheid state. Extensive in scope, they make it infinitely easier for Israel to imprison and expel Palestinians from the West Bank  Saeb Erekat Chief Palestinian negotiator |
"The orders are worded so broadly such as theoretically allowing the military to empty the West Bank of almost all its Palestinian inhabitants," a letter written by human rights organisation HaMoked and signed by 10 other groups to Defence Minister Ehud Barak said.
72 Hours
But the IDF said Israel was within its rights to restrict people entering the West Bank illegally, and the order was being amended to allow what it called "judicial oversight" in cases of accused "illegal sojourners".
Under the military order, anyone without the right papers authorised by the commanding officer of the Israeli Defence Forces can be deported form the West Bank within 72 hours.
Suspected "infiltrators" could also be jailed for up to seven years under the new orders.
Even if someone can prove they are in the territory legally, a group of human rights campaign organisations say, they still could find themselves facing three years in jail if they do not have the permission to remain given by the IDF.
Anyone being removed might also have to pay for the cost of their own deportation, the order says.
'Stateless'
The group of 10 Human rights groups in Israel who condemned the new orders included HaMoked - who uncovered the amendments to the order - Betselem, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and Rabbis for Human rights.
Many Palestinians in the West Bank hold ID cards from neighbouring countries that Israel classifies as its enemies, because they have returned from refugee camps there over the last few years.
Some have no identity cards and are technically "stateless persons", according to media reports.
The order could also apply to people from foreign countries friendly to Israel, like the US, UK and Europe.
Sarit Michaeli, director of Betselem, says the order would also undermine the Palestinian Authority, led by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
"That such a sweeping order, such a draconian order, was allowed to pass without any amount of public debate or proper advertisement, an order which could effect every Palestinian, we intend to fight it in the courts," she said.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the new measures "belong in an apartheid state".
"Extensive in scope, they make it infinitely easier for Israel to imprison and expel Palestinians from the West Bank," he said in a statement.
The IDF said said in a statement that all the requisite notices of the change to the orders had been given.
"The IDF is ready to implement the order, which is not intended to apply to Israelis, but to illegal sojourners in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]. This is a pre-existing order which was corrected to assure judicial oversight of the extradition process," a statement from the IDF said.
Close to 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
There are around 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank.
BBC
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