Hamas parliamentarians warned of loosing Jerusalem residence

Israel's Interior Minister, Roni Bar-On, sent letters yesterday giving a 30 day notice to three memebers of the Palestinian parliament to end their membership in the political movement Hamas, which recently won the elections in Palestinian areas, or else face loosing their residency in Jerusalem.

B'TSelem, the Israeli organization specialised in human rights in the Palestinian occupied territories, said today it is illegal to revoke residency of members of Hamas from Jerusalem.

B'TSelem said "Bar-On's letter comes in the wake of Prime Minister Olmert's decision last month, which he made, according to media reports, 'following the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv,' and because 'Hamas leaders did not condemn the attack and some even justified it.'"

B'TSelem added that "if their residency is revoked, the three Mahmud Abu Tir, Ahmad 'Atur, and Muhammad Totah, will have to hand in their identity cards and will be forbidden entry to Jerusalem. The action will expel them from their homes and from the city whose residents elected them as their representatives. It should be noted that, despite Israel's annexation, East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Occupied Territories, so its Palestinian residents are protected by the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the occupying power from forcibly transferring civilians from their homes. Israel's proposed action would flagrantly violate Israel's obligations under the Convention."