Israel – Israeli Knesset has formally passed a contentious bill that mandates the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of “terrorist” attacks, a move that has sparked widespread international condemnation. The legislation, which was approved with 62 votes in favour to 48 against, marks a departure from Israel’s decades-long policy of de facto abolition of capital punishment. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the primary architect of the bill, celebrated the result within the parliamentary chamber, describing the outcome as a historical shift in national security policy.

The new law introduces a dual-track judicial system that critics argue is inherently discriminatory. In military courts, which govern Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a simple majority of judges can now impose a mandatory death sentence by hanging, even without a formal request from prosecutors. Conversely, the law specifies that in civil courts, the penalty applies to the “intentional killing of Israeli citizens,” effectively shielding Israeli settlers from the same legal consequences. Furthermore, the legislation restricts the right to clemency and mandates that executions be carried out within 90 days of sentencing.

Global human rights organisations and the United Nations have issued sharp rebukes, asserting that the law violates the fundamental right to life and entrenches a system of apartheid. Rights groups such as B’Tselem and Amnesty International have warned that the measure legitimises extrajudicial killings under a legislative veneer. Additionally, a coalition of European nations, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, had previously urged the Israeli government to withdraw the bill, citing grave concerns over its discriminatory nature and its incompatibility with democratic principles. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has already filed a petition with the Supreme Court to challenge the legality of the new statute