Israel extends senior Palestinian Sheikh’s travel ban

Israel has extended the travel ban imposed on Sheikh Kamal Al-Khatib, the head of the Freedoms Committee of the Follow-up Committee for Palestinians in Occupied Palestine. Israeli police have extended the ban for another four months.

“Eight years ago, they banned the Islamic Movement, delegitimised it and classified it as a terror group,” said the senior Palestinian Sheikh on Twitter. “All of the movement’s institutions were dissolved and I was prevented from carrying out any activities. Two years ago, I was detained for 37 days over incitement and violence allegations. Trials are still going on. All of that is due to my clear defence of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Al-Khatib added that six months ago, Israel imposed an oppressive travel ban on him. “It was not the first time, and they renewed it. They are mistaken and fools if they thought that they would make a new Kamal of me who gives up his principles and puts down his head.”

The occupation state claims that the travel ban was imposed due to intelligence that he is carrying out the agenda of the “banned” Islamic Movement.

Israeli police arrested Sheikh Al-Khatib on 14 May 2021 in a violent raid on his hometown of Kufr Kanna that left dozens of local Palestinian residents wounded, some of them seriously. Ten days later, Haifa Magistrates Court Judge Zayed Fallah ruled that there was no justification for holding Al-Khatib in custody, and ordered his release under house arrest until 28 May 2021.

Sixty-year-old Sheikh Al-Khatib was a deputy head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, which was banned by the occupation state on 17 November 2015.

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