Israel’s parliament has approved a law that sets the death penalty as the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks in the occupied West Bank, prompting protests, legal challenges, and condemnation from the United Nations and European governments.
The Knesset passed the measure on 30 March, backing a proposal led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The law applies to Palestinians tried in military courts for attacks defined as terrorism. Israeli citizens accused of similar acts fall under civilian courts.
The legislation states that courts will impose death sentences by majority decision. Prosecutors do not need to request capital punishment. Military judges in the West Bank will hold authority to issue sentences. Executions will take place within 90 days.
Those sentenced will remain in separate facilities. Visits will be limited to authorised personnel. Legal consultations will take place by video link. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that executions will take place by hanging.
Israel has used capital punishment in rare cases. The last execution took place in 1962.
During the parliamentary session, Ben-Gvir said the law marked a shift in state policy. “From today, every terrorist will know, and the whole world will know, that whoever takes a life, the state of Israel will take their life,” he told lawmakers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the vote. He did not speak during proceedings.
The law has drawn condemnation from international bodies. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the measure breached legal obligations. “It is patently inconsistent with Israel’s international law obligations, including in relation to the right to life,” he said.
He added that its application to Palestinians in occupied territory would amount to a war crime. “Its application in a discriminatory manner would constitute an additional violation of international law,” he said.
European leaders also raised concern. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X: “Same crime, different punishment. That is not justice.” A German government spokesperson said the policy conflicted with long-standing opposition to capital punishment.
The European Union said the measure marked a step back. EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said the law raised concern due to its scope and application.
Human rights groups in Israel and abroad have filed petitions with the Supreme Court. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said the law created “two parallel tracks” that apply to Palestinians.
Human Rights Watch said the measure entrenched inequality. Its deputy Middle East director Adam Coogle said the law aimed to “kill Palestinian detainees faster and with less scrutiny”.
Military courts that try Palestinians record conviction rates above 99 percent. Civilian courts that try Israeli citizens for offences in the West Bank show rates near 3 percent over recent years.
Inside Israel, some lawmakers opposed the bill. Arab member of parliament Aida Touma-Suleiman left the chamber before the vote. “I couldn’t see any more,” she said, describing the debate as distressing.
Israeli rights groups linked the law to earlier legislation. They cited measures that regulate land, citizenship, and national identity. Critics said these laws form a system that treats Palestinians and Israelis under different rules.
Outside Israel, protests took place across the West Bank. Shops, universities, and public offices closed following a call for a general strike by the Fatah movement led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
In Ramallah, hundreds marched against the law. Demonstrators carried signs opposing executions. In Nablus and Hebron, businesses shut during the day.
At one protest, a resident identified as Riman told AFP: “There isn’t a single person standing here who doesn’t have a brother, a husband, a son, or even a neighbour in prison.”
More than 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including minors and women, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.
Israeli forces intervened in some areas. In Anata, near Jerusalem, soldiers ordered shop owners to reopen. At the Qalandia checkpoint, witnesses reported the use of tear gas and stun grenades during demonstrations, according to the Palestinian agency WAFA.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the law. A statement from Mahmoud Abbas’s office said the measure would not deter Palestinians. “Such laws and measures will not break the will of the Palestinian people,” it said.
The law now enters into force, though the Supreme Court holds the authority to review it. Legal petitions filed this week seek to overturn the measure on constitutional grounds.
HT