Bang! Israeli Parliament Approves Death Penalty for Palestinian Citizens
Israel’s parliament has officially approved a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians proven to have carried out fatal attacks. This move has triggered a wave of sharp criticism from European countries and human rights groups, who view it as a discriminatory action.
According to The Guardian on Tuesday (31/03/2026), the law establishes the death penalty as the standard punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank if they are found guilty by military courts of deadly attacks deemed acts of terrorism.
Under the proposed law, those sentenced to death will be held in separate facilities without visits except from official personnel, while legal consultations will only be conducted via video link. Executions must be carried out within 90 days of the verdict being handed down.
Israel has rarely used the death penalty and has only applied it in exceptional cases. Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was the last person executed by Israeli authorities in 1962.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a strong supporter of the bill, has repeatedly worn a badge shaped like a hangman’s noose as a symbol of execution. He described hanging as one of the execution methods for the condemned.
“Hanging is one option, alongside the electric chair or ‘euthanasia’. Some doctors have even offered to assist in the process,” said Ben-Gvir.
The security committee has made several amendments to the bill, which passed its first vote last week. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that executions will be carried out by hanging.
The new rules allow courts to impose the death penalty without a prosecutor’s request and without requiring a unanimous decision, but only a simple majority. Military courts in the occupied West Bank will also be authorised to hand down death sentences with input from the defence minister.
For Palestinians under occupation, the law closes avenues for appeals or clemency. In contrast, prisoners tried within Israel have the possibility of sentence reduction to life imprisonment.
The legislation, initiated by Ben-Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party, has faced fierce condemnation from opponents. They warn that this step signals a significant escalation in Israel’s provocative penal policy.
Military officials and relevant ministries have stated that the law could violate international law. Additionally, the rules are feared to expose Israeli military personnel to the risk of arrest when abroad.
Once promulgated, the law will officially take effect but remains subject to review. Israel’s Supreme Court has the authority to annul it if deemed contrary to basic law.
Moments before the vote began, Itamar Ben-Gvir delivered a rousing speech from the parliamentary podium. He described the law as long overdue and a symbol of Israel’s strength and national pride.
“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,” Ben-Gvir asserted firmly.
As the law was passed, the chamber erupted in cheers, and Ben-Gvir raised a bottle in celebration. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attended to cast his approving vote, sat silently without expression.
Leading human rights groups in Israel have condemned the law as institutional discrimination and racist violence against Palestinians. The Israel Civil Liberties Association has filed an appeal against the law with the Supreme Court.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has strongly condemned the legislation, viewing it as a clear violation of international law. He described the move as a failed attempt aimed solely at intimidating the Palestinian people.
“Laws and actions like this will not break the will of the Palestinian people or undermine their resolve. Nor will it prevent them from continuing their legitimate struggle for freedom, independence, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” read an official statement from Abbas’s office.
Last month, UN experts urged Israel to scrap the bill, deeming it a violation of the right to life. They stated that hanging constitutes torture or a cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.
The European Union’s diplomatic service also condemned the proposal, stating that the death penalty violates the right to life and risks breaching the absolute prohibition on torture. Amnesty International urged Israeli parliament members to reject the discriminatory law.
On Sunday, major countries such as the UK, France, Germany, and Italy expressed deep concern over the law. They assessed the policy as risking damage to Israel’s commitment to international democratic principles that it has long upheld.