On March 30, the Israeli Knesset passed a bill expanding the use of the death penalty for terrorism-related offenses, a move Human Rights Watch has criticized as discriminatory. The bill’s language indicates that it would primarily, if not exclusively, target Palestinians.
Under Israel’s civil court system, the bill imposes the death penalty for deliberate killings intended to “negate the existence of the State of Israel.” It mandates execution by hanging, limits access to legal counsel and family visits, restricts external oversight, and grants immunity to those carrying out executions.
In the military court system of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the law applies the death penalty for acts of terrorism as defined under Israeli law, even without prosecutorial requests. Courts have minimal discretion, with life imprisonment allowed only in unspecified exceptional cases. The law prohibits sentence commutation and mandates execution within 90 days, creating an accelerated and restrictive process.
The bill explicitly excludes Israeli citizens and settlers, applying military jurisdiction solely to Palestinians. Human rights group B’Tselem notes that military trials of Palestinians have a 96% conviction rate, often based on confessions obtained under duress or torture.
Human Rights Watch condemns the bill, emphasizing that capital punishment is inherently cruel and irreversible. Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, stated that the law entrenches discrimination and a two-tiered justice system, effectively aiming to execute Palestinian detainees faster and with reduced scrutiny, under the guise of security.
