Israel deports Arab father to Gaza, separates from Israeli wife and children

Basel Al-Qur’an, a 28-year-old Arab man married to an Israeli woman and father to their three children, has been deported to Gaza and barred from returning to his family, reported the Times of Israel.

Al-Qur’an had lived in Israel for over a decade on temporary permits, but after being convicted of driving without a license, he was unable to renew his visa while in prison and was deported last month.

He was taken to the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing following his release from Shikma Prison, where Israeli forces placed him on a truck headed for Rafah. Now stranded in Gaza, he is unable to return to his home in Kiryat Gat settlement in the Negev.

Born in Gaza to an Arab-Israeli mother and an Egyptian father, Al-Qur’an comes from a Bedouin background. He moved to Israel as a teenager with his mother and had his temporary permit renewed twice a year.

His lawyer, Uzi Avraham, has appealed to Israeli occupation authorities, requesting that he be allowed to return, but the Shin Bet, army and Israel Prison Service have not responded to inquiries regarding his case.

According to the Times of Israel, Avraham stated that Israeli occupation authorities responded by saying they were reviewing the case and would decide on a course of action by the end of March.

Meanwhile, Al-Qur’an remains trapped in Gaza, taking refuge in a temporary shelter provided by a Bedouin stranger he met upon arriving in Rafah.

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On Monday, the family fled as Israeli air strikes intensified, leaving Al-Qur’an alone near the southern border. “Every day, they’re killing people, shooting them in the legs, in the head. I see it every day from afar and also hear it. It’s truly life or death,” he said.

He rarely leaves his shelter except to approach the Egyptian border, where he pleads with Israeli soldiers to let him return. His mother, Marwa, has contacted multiple government agencies, including the army, Shin Bet, and Israel Prison Service, but has received no clear answers regarding her son’s case.

She also reached out to the International Red Cross, which confirmed that Al-Qur’an is currently in Gaza.

Oded Feller from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel acknowledged that while Al-Qur’an’s deportation is legally justified, it raises serious humanitarian concerns.

“The moment someone with temporary status commits a crime, it is legal to revoke their status and deport them,” Feller said. “Of course, the impact on his children, his family, and his personal safety should be considered — but this is what happens.”

Despite his mother, wife, and children being Israeli citizens, Al-Qur’an was never granted permanent residency or citizenship. His application was blocked by Israel’s 2003 Citizenship Law, which largely prevents Palestinians married to Israeli citizens from gaining naturalisation.

“I was in shock… I had no idea where I was, what was happening, or what exactly had been done to me,” he recalled. More than a month has passed since he was left stranded in Gaza.

His family now faces immense challenges in trying to bring him back. Despite unreliable cell service, Al-Qur’an regularly calls his wife and children, who are struggling in his absence.

“My kids call me from school every day, crying, misbehaving in class — they miss me,” he said. “I used to take care of everything for them. My whole life is there, you understand?”

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