Israeli High Court Halts Expulsions
Israel's Supreme Court temporarily blocked the expulsion of relatives of Palestinian terror suspects from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as troops demolished the homes of two Palestinian militiamen.

House demolitions and expulsion orders are part of Israel's intensifying effort to prevent attacks by punishing the assailants' families. Human rights groups say the measures amount to collective punishment and violate international law.

A military court on Monday ordered the expulsion of three Palestinians -- relatives of a Hamas militant involved in attacks that killed several Israelis and of a man who gave an explosives belt to a suicide bomber. On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner froze the expulsion orders for 15 days.

The Israeli military must submit arguments as to why it should be allowed to go ahead with the expulsions. A larger panel of the 11-member court will then conduct hearings and make a final decision.

Moshe Negbi, a legal analyst, said Dorner's temporary injunction signaled that ``the court does see legal difficulties for Israel,'' possibly action against the state in the international criminal court, if the expulsions are carried out.

Such measures as expulsion ``are not only immoral and cruel and violate the Geneva Conventions, but they will bring about the opposite result, the creation of more suicide bombers,'' said Dan Yakir, head of the Israeli Civil Rights Association.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html