GAZA (PIC)– The West Bank Palestinians who were banished to Gaza at the hands of IOF after a standoff at the Nativity Church six years ago went on a 3-day hunger strike starting Wednesday demanding return to their hometown.
They asked PA chief Mahmoud Abbas and premier Ismail Haneyya to expedite formation of a legal committee that would work for their return to Bethlehem along with their comrades who were exiled to a number of European countries.
IOF troops in 2001 besieged the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem where tens of Palestinian fighters sought refuge and only allowed them out after concluding a deal with the PA leadership that stipulated among other conditions on their deportation to Gaza and a number of European countries.
The deportees told a press conference in Gaza city on Wednesday that any agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis on return of the deportees should be clear without any ambiguity and all should be aware of its articles. They said that they were not aware of the items of the agreement that led to their deportation.
They asked the legal organizations and the Red Cross to recognize them as deportees and not to ignore their demands and appealed to Palestinian and foreign journalists and all media institutions to support their just cause at various regional and international platforms.
The exiled West Bankers also asked captors of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to include their issue in the prisoners’ swap deal noting that 39 families are divided as a result of their banishment.
The deportees charged that their banishment was in violation of all international principles values norms and ethics pointing out that Israel did not live up to its pledges in the deal that agreed on their return one year after their exile.
