EditIsrael passes death penalty law for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks
The law drew sharp criticism from European governments and institutions, which have long opposed capital punishment in all circumstances
Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday making death by hanging the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks, fulfilling a pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies.
The legislation applies primarily to Palestinians tried in West Bank military courts and includes provisions for execution within 90 days of sentencing, with limited allowances for delay but no right to clemency. It offers the option of life imprisonment in unspecified “special circumstances.” A parallel provision in civilian courts targets killings intended to “end Israel’s existence,” which critics argue effectively discriminates against Israel’s Arab minority.
Israel abolished the death penalty for ordinary murder in 1954, with the only post-civilian-trial execution being that of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962. Military courts in the West Bank have had the theoretical power to impose death sentences on Palestinians but have not carried them out.
The bill was championed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who celebrated the vote: “This is a day of justice for the murdered, a day of deterrence for enemies. Whoever chooses terror chooses death.”
Palestinian and rights group reactions
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the law as a breach of international law and a failed attempt to intimidate Palestinians. His office stated it would not undermine the Palestinian people’s resolve or their struggle for an independent state.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad called for revenge attacks. Israeli rights groups, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and B’Tselem, denounced the measure as institutionalized discrimination and filed or signaled legal challenges to the Supreme Court. Amnesty International noted the lack of evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than life imprisonment.
European and EU reactions
The law drew sharp criticism from European governments and institutions, which have long opposed capital punishment in all circumstances.
The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement expressing “deep concern” about the bill’s “de facto discriminatory character” toward Palestinians and warned that its adoption risks undermining Israel’s democratic principles.
The European Union’s diplomatic service (EEAS) described the bill as “deeply concerning,” reiterating that “the EU opposes capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances.” It added that the death penalty violates the right to life and risks cruel or inhuman treatment, calling the legislation “a grave step backward” from Israel’s previous de facto moratorium.
Alain Berset, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, denounced the law’s passage as “a serious regression,” stating that “the death penalty is a legal anachronism incompatible with contemporary human-rights standards” and that any discriminatory application is unacceptable in a state governed by the rule of law.
Context and next steps
The legislation is the latest move by Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition raising concerns among Western allies, amid ongoing scrutiny over settler violence in the West Bank and the war in Gaza. Netanyahu reportedly sought to soften some elements to mitigate backlash but voted in favor; the bill passed with 62 votes in the 120-seat Knesset.
Legal experts and Israeli officials have warned the law could face Supreme Court challenges on constitutional grounds and potentially expose Israeli personnel to international legal repercussions. The next national election is scheduled for October 2026.
Israel has long maintained an official policy of targeted killings against enemy fighters – primarily senior militants and terrorists actively involved in planning or carrying out attacks – a practice upheld by its Supreme Court in 2006 as a legitimate wartime measure.
With Reuters, with additional content by EUalive.
Caption: File photo. Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir (C) speaks to reporters as he visits the site of an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel, 1 March 2026. The bill making death by hanging the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks was championed by Ben-Gvir. EPA/ABIR SULTAN
Updated: March 31, 2026 - 06:38
