Court OKs deporting two Palestinians

Abdel Nasser Asida (left) and Kifah Ajouri in court on Monday

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel's Supreme Court has approved the expulsion of two relatives of a Palestinian suspect from the West Bank to Gaza, but it rejected a third case.

In its ruling Tuesday, the court upheld the army's right to transfer family members of militants who have conducted terror attacks in Israel, but only those who have physically and deliberately assisted relatives in carrying out those attacks.

The Israeli army will have to provide proof of involvement for expulsions to take place.

In a unanimous decision, the nine-member court ruled that Kifah and Anitsar Ajouri from the Askar refugee camp in Nablus should be deported.

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They are the brother and sister of Ali Muhammad Ahmed Ajouri, 23, a Fatah activist and expert bomb-maker blamed by Israel for coordinating a double suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv in July.

But the court also ruled that Abdel Nasser Asida, from Kafr Tel near Nablus, could remain in the West Bank, saying he had no advance knowledge of attacks his brother is accused of taking part in.

The deportations will last two years.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said: "This is a black day for human rights in Israel and Palestine. This is collective punishment just as is demolishing homes."

Israeli forces have demolished homes and buildings Israel say belonged to Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank.

Three Palestinians die in clashes

At least three Palestinians died Tuesday in West Bank and Gaza encounters with Israeli forces, sources said.

Two Palestinians were killed by tank shells at Burin village in the West Bank, according to Palestinian sources, Israel Radio reported. The Palestine Red Crescent Society concurred, saying two Palestinians had died and one had been wounded by shrapnel.

The Israel Defense Forces said it spotted the two in an abnormal place at an odd time and fired a tank shell at the men. The direct hit killed them. One of the men was thought to be armed, but soldiers couldn't find a weapon after the incident

In southern Gaza, a Palestinian attacker -- a member of the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades -- was killed in an attempt to infiltrate the Jewish settlement of Kissufim in Gush Katif, Palestinian sources said.

An IDF spokesman said a gunman threw grenades at an IDF outpost and then died in a firefight that broke out with Israeli troops. Grenades, a machine gun and ammunition magazines were found near the man's body, according to the IDF.

The Red Crescent said one Palestinian died of gunshot wounds.

In southern Gaza, along the border with Egypt, eight members of a Palestinian family were injured -- in what was described as an accident by Israelis -- when Israeli forces hit the wall of a house in their search for arms-smuggling tunnels, Israel Radio reported.

The Red Crescent said eight Palestinians were injured when their home was demolished.

A Jewish settler was shot and wounded Tuesday near the West Bank city of Ramallah while he was driving his car over a bridge, the IDF said.

Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer ordered an inquiry Monday into why Palestinian civilians have been killed during recent military operations.

"The defense minister instructed that an inquiry be launched, headed by a general, that will study all these events and will recommend to the defense minister by Friday operative recommendations to prevent recurrence of these kind of unfortunate accidents in the future," according to a Defense Ministry statement. (Full story)