1992 deportation of Hamas members

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1992 deportation of Hamas members — simple summary

What happened
- On December 16, 1992, Israel carried out a mass deportation of about 400 Palestinian prisoners suspected of belonging to Hamas.
- The decision came after Hamas militants killed Israeli police officer Nissim Toledano.
- About 418 prisoners were gathered and moved toward the Lebanese border; Lebanese authorities did not want them to enter Lebanon.
- The deportees were dropped at the Israeli-held border area and then taken to the South Lebanon security zone, near Metula and later Marj al-Zuhour in southern Lebanon.

Where the deportees went and what life was like
- Most of the deportees ended up in exile in southern Lebanon, far from their homes.
- They were given a small amount of money, some food, and jackets, and were kept in a difficult desert and mountain environment.
- They organized themselves in camps, built basic facilities, and held classes and meetings. Hezbollah provided aid and, over time, offered training and support, including lessons in combat and explosives.
- The deportees formed connections with Iran and Hezbollah, which helped Hamas gain new regional links.

Why Israel did this
- Israel argued the mass deportation would neutralize Hamas and protect Israeli civilians.
- The move was controversial inside Israel, with debates about its legality and its impact on peace talks.

Reactions at home and abroad
- In Israel, a wide majority of Jewish Israelis supported the deportation, though some warned it could backfire.
- In Palestine, protests erupted, and some Palestinian leaders warned it would worsen the conflict and hurt peace talks.
- Amnesty International and other international groups condemned the deportation, calling for fair trials and humane treatment.
- The United Nations Security Council condemned the action in Resolution 799, and the United States and other countries urged Israel to resolve the situation and return the deportees.

Return from exile
- Initially, Israel said it would not allow the deportees to return to the Palestinian territories.
- Over time, some deportees were allowed to come back: ten were apologized for being wrongly deported (announced December 29, 1992), eleven more returned in early January 1993 (some for health reasons), and over 100 were allowed back after further deals.
- In mid-1993, the United States brokered a deal to bring most of the deportees back.
- By December 1993, all the deportees had returned home, ending the exile.

Impact and analysis
- The deportation raised Hamas’s profile among Palestinians and helped it gain new regional contacts, especially with Hezbollah and Iran.
- It did not achieve its intended goal of weakening Hamas; many analysts view it as a significant step in Hamas’s rise.
- It also sparked debates about human rights and the use of mass deportations during conflict.

Key points
- Date: December 16, 1992 (mass deportation) and timeline through 1993 of returns.
- Numbers: about 400 people deported; some wrongly deported and later returned.
- Location: deportees sent toward Lebanon, mainly Marj al-Zuhour in southern Lebanon.
- Lifespan of exile: roughly a year, ending in December 1993.
- Global response: mixed but largely critical from human rights groups; UNSC Resolution 799 condemned the action; US involvement helped arrange returns.

This summarizes the 1992 deportation of Hamas members by Israel, its reasons, what happened to the deportees, and its short- and long-term consequences.