30.3.2026
Israel’s parliament on Monday passed a law approving the death penalty for Palestinians convicted on terror charges of carrying out deadly attacks on Israelis.
The law, which also allows the courts to impose the death penalty on Israeli citizens, has been harshly criticised by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups.
The bill’s passage marked a major victory for Israel’s far-right, which has pushed hard for the measure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the chamber to vote yes in person.
The law makes the death penalty – by hanging – the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks. The law also gives Israeli courts the authority to impose either the death penalty or life imprisonment on its own citizens. It is not retro-active and will apply only to future cases.
The measure has been harshly condemned by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups, who say it is racist, draconian and unlikely to deter attacks by Palestinian attackers. The international community has also criticised the new law as a “grave step backwards”. APF