Israel's parliament has voted overwhelmingly to extend the death penalty to alleged terrorists from Gaza, in legislation that applies exclusively to Palestinians. The Knesset's 93-0 vote on Wednesday establishes special tribunals capable of imposing capital punishment for what it terms "crimes against humanity," reviving a legal framework last used to execute Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.
Discriminatory Legislation
The new law is part of a broader package that mandates hanging for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis in nationalist or terror-related acts. It applies to ethnic Palestinians with Israeli citizenship and all residents of the West Bank, but explicitly excludes ethnic Jews. Human rights groups have condemned the measure as de facto discriminatory.
At least 1,000 Gazans are currently held in administrative detention as "unlawful combatants" in Israel, with many more imprisoned in the West Bank amid a surge in Jewish settler violence. These individuals will face military courts, where conviction rates exceed 90%, according to Israeli human rights organizations.
Historical Context
The tribunals are designed to try those allegedly involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks, which killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The hearings will be televised, echoing the Eichmann trial. Since 1962, Israel has not carried out any judicial executions but has conducted numerous extrajudicial "targeted killings" abroad.
Diana Buttu, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and human rights lawyer, noted that the shift in public opinion supporting the death penalty followed the October 7 atrocities. Israel has acknowledged its forces killed at least 70,000 people in Gaza, with the UN reporting that the majority were women and children.
International Reaction
The UK government expressed "deep concern" over the legislation, joining Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand in condemning it as discriminatory. However, no sanctions have been threatened against Israel. The law comes amid efforts to abolish the Oslo Accords, with a bill proposing to dismantle the peace process initiated in 1993.
Limor Sonn Har Melech, deputy speaker of the Knesset and a member of the Jewish Power Party, is leading the move to cancel the Oslo Accords, aiming to prevent Palestinian statehood and expand Jewish settlements on the occupied West Bank. All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.
Palestinian Response
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to London, condemned Israeli efforts to "collapse the Palestinian Authority" and called for mass non-violent protest. Speaking on the World of Trouble podcast, he emphasized the need for unity and international pressure similar to the campaign against South African apartheid.
"Resistance is not just armed resistance," Zomlot stated, urging a redefinition of resistance to include nonviolent means. The Palestinian Authority, dominated by Fatah, is currently holding elections that require participants to respect the Oslo Accords, creating a paradox as Israel moves to abolish them.
