Israel under fire for revoking residency status of Qanbar family

Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denounced Israel's decision to revoke residency status of Qanbar family members in East Jerusalem, after a member of the family was shot dead in an attack last Sunday.

The Ministry said in an emailed press statement that the Israeli Minister of Interior Aryeh Deri issued a decision to revoke the residency status of 12 members of Qanbar family and described the step as "flagrant form of collective punishment," accusing Israeli authorities of "carrying on with its revenge campaign against the Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem."

The statement highlighted that this step is a violation of international law.

The ministry called on the intentional community to move promptly to halt this decision.

Israeli public radio reported Wednesday that the Israeli Ministry of Interior summoned 12 members of Qanbar family preparing to revoke the residencies.

The radio reported earlier that Israeli forces took measurements of Qanbar's family house, ahead of demolishing it.

Last Sunday a Palestinian attacked a group of Israeli soldiers in East Jerusalem, killing four soldiers and leaving several others injured. He was shot dead by Israeli soldiers, according to identical Israeli and Palestinian sources.

A wave of tensions has been ongoing between Palestinians and Israelis since October 2015, leading to the death of over 340 Palestinians, one Jordanian and over 40 Israelis, according to official data.

source: Xinhua