A new chapter in Israel’s internal policies has opened with the approval of measures allowing the removal of long-standing residents from Jerusalem and their transfer to the Gaza Strip. The move follows the withdrawal of permanent residency from two Jerusalemite prisoners, a decision enabled by recently enacted legislation that redefines residency as a revocable status rather than an inherent right. For many affected communities, the step is viewed not as an isolated ruling but as part of a broader strategy unfolding amid a prolonged genocidal war.

Legal observers and community figures warn that the decision establishes a framework that could be extended far beyond individual cases. The classification of Jerusalem residency through the so-called “blue ID” has long been used as an administrative tool, but its conversion into grounds for deportation marks a significant escalation. Analysts note that transferring individuals to Gaza, a territory devastated by genocidal war and humanitarian collapse, amounts to a form of punitive exile rather than administrative regulation, carrying both material and symbolic weight.

Criticism has intensified as civil bodies and rights advocates argue that the policy amounts to demographic engineering. They contend that the forced removal of residents from their city undermines established legal protections and violates core principles of international law prohibiting population transfer. The current government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is described by critics as pursuing measures once considered politically unthinkable, while legal groups such as Adalah warn that separate legal regimes based on identity entrench systemic discrimination.

As debate grows, activists caution that these cases may serve as a testing ground for wider displacement affecting families across the 1948 territories. With deportation now framed as a lawful option, concerns are mounting that residency, movement and even the right to remain at home are increasingly subject to political discretion rather than legal certainty.