The Knesset of Israel approved the Death Penalty Law for Terrorists on Monday, March 30, 2026, with 64 votes in favor and 48 against. This regulation establishes the death penalty by hanging, exclusively for Palestinians, which has generated criticism for its discriminatory nature. The law will be applied in military courts in the West Bank, where only Palestinian defendants are tried, while Israelis are prosecuted in civil courts.
The Palestinian Authority condemned this legislation, labeling it as ‘racist’ and a violation of international humanitarian law. In a statement, it emphasized that the law represents a ‘war crime’ against the Palestinian people and warned that it will not affect their resistance or their struggle for freedom and an independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, who championed the reform, stated that this is a measure of justice for the victims and aims to deter terrorism. However, human rights organizations, such as Adalah, have denounced that this law institutionalizes state murder and contravenes international law by applying Israeli legislation to a population under occupation. For more details on the repercussions of this law, you can read this article about the UN demanding its repeal.
