Israel’s parliament has passed a law that will make the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly terror attacks.
The bill passed its final reading in the Knesset 62 to 48, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voting in favour.
Under the new law, Palestinians tried in Israeli military courts for attacks deemed “acts of terrorism” would be executed by hanging within 90 days, with a possible delay of up to 180 days. In theory, Jewish Israelis could also face execution if their actions were intended to “negate the existence of the state of Israel,” though this is seen as highly unlikely.
The legislation was championed by far-right figures, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. After the vote, he wrote on X: “We made history!!! We promised. We delivered.” Limor Son-Har-Melech, whose husband was killed in a Palestinian attack, said the law was necessary. She explained: “For years, we endured a cruel cycle of terror, imprisonment, release in reckless deals, and the return of these human monsters to murder Jews again.”
Opposition leaders and international observers have voiced strong criticism of the law, with Christian Aid saying it is a "flagrant violation of international law".
Dr Suhad Bishara, legal director of Christian Aid's partner, Adalah, an Israeli-based human rights organisation, said: "The application of Israeli domestic law to Palestinian residents of the West Bank is a flagrant violation of international law, as the Knesset holds no sovereign authority to legislate for an occupied population.”
Catholic church leaders have also voiced concern. Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Fr Francesco Ielpo reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty, saying it is never justified. They warned that the law could worsen distrust and hostility between Israelis and Palestinians.
“It is for us, not only for me but for all of us, news that we have taken with great pain,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said. “We must work with all parts of civil society to ensure that attention is kept alive and the situation does not deteriorate further.”
Several European nations, including the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, expressed “deep concern,” warning the bill risks “undermining Israel's commitments with regard to democratic principles.”
The Palestinian Authority condemned the law, calling it an attempt to “legitimise extrajudicial killing under legislative cover,” while Hamas said it “threatens the lives” of Palestinian prisoners and urged the international community to “ensure the protection of our prisoners”.
Amnesty International criticised the law, with Erika Guevara-Rosas, the group’s senior director of research and advocacy, saying: “Israel is brazenly granting itself carte blanche to execute Palestinians while stripping away the most basic fair-trial safeguards.”
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has petitioned the Supreme Court, calling the legislation “unconstitutional, discriminatory by design and – for West Bank Palestinians – enacted without legal authority.” The court will now decide whether to hear the challenge.
Israel has only executed two people in its history, one of them Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi official responsible for orchestrating the Holocaust.
