Palestine Condemns Israel's Approved Death Penalty: Legitimising Murder

The Palestinian Authority has condemned the approval of a law by Israel’s parliament that will allow the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. Palestine has described the death penalty approved by Israel as a “dangerous escalation”.

According to Al Jazeera, on Tuesday (31/3/2026), in a post on X, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry based in Ramallah stated that “Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian land”.

“This law once again reveals the colonial nature of Israel, which seeks to legitimise extrajudicial killings under the guise of legislation,” the ministry said.

Israel’s parliament has approved a law authorising the death penalty for Palestinians proven to have killed Israelis. The approval of the bill marks a major victory for Israel’s right-wing, which has strongly pushed for this measure.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the chamber to vote “yes” in person. The law makes death by hanging the standard punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank who are proven to have committed murder.

The law also gives Israeli courts the authority to impose the death penalty or life imprisonment on their own citizens. The punishment is not retroactive and will only apply to future cases.

This step has been harshly criticised by Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups, who say it is racist, cruel, and unlikely to prevent attacks by Palestinian assailants. It is expected to face legal challenges in Israel’s Supreme Court.

A leading Israeli human rights group has announced that it has filed a petition with the country’s Supreme Court to oppose the bill approved by parliamentarians, which would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly terror attacks.