JERUSALEM -- Israeli officials, faced with an international outcry and a definitive ruling by the attorney general, acknowledged Sunday they couldn't legally deport relatives of suicide bombers unless they were directly linked to attacks.
Also Sunday, a Palestinian official said Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told the Palestinians that Israeli troops could withdraw from two West Bank cities -- Bethlehem and Hebron -- in the coming days. Israeli officials denied the claim.
On Friday, Israeli officials had said they were considering deportation to the Gaza Strip for 21 people arrested in West Bank raids who were relatives of suspects in attacks last week that killed 12 Israeli residents.
The threat generated international condemnation and cries of collective punishment from the Palestinians.
Amnesty International and Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups said the proposal was a violation of international law. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said "self-defense cannot justify measures that amount to collective punishments."
Even Israel's closet ally, the United States, warned against deporting anyone based solely on their family relations.
On Sunday, Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein's office issued a statement, saying deportation could be considered only for people "directly involved" in attacks.
Ranaan Gissin, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said it was clear "from the beginning that it deportation was problematic."
"If you can't do the move in a legal manner, then you can't do it," he said. He said there was no legal possibility for deportation if there was no proof of clear involvement in a terror act.
Still, the 21 family members arrested Friday were being investigated to see if any fit Rubinstein's criteria for deportation.
"If any were directly involved, who meet the criteria, you can consider deporting them," Gissin said.
The relatives had petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to block any deportation. However, they withdrew the petition Sunday after the court said it could not rule unless the government ordered a deportation.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.