Israel Pushes Through Death Penalty Legislation Targeting Palestinians
The Knesset approved the measure in its initial reading with support from 19 legislators and zero opposition votes, according to an Israeli state-owned broadcaster.
The proposed law establishes an extraordinary legal framework designed to prosecute hundreds of Palestinians allegedly connected to the October 7 incidents—events that Israeli officials have consistently characterized as the nation's gravest security breakdown in its entire existence.
Three prominent lawmakers spearheaded the initiative: Justice Minister Yariv Levin from the governing Likud faction, Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman representing the far-right Religious Zionism movement, and Yisrael Beiteinu legislator Yulia Malinovsky, the broadcaster reported.
The draft legislation calls for establishing a specialized tribunal led by a former district court judge with expansive jurisdiction over cases involving genocide accusations, sovereignty violations, wartime collaboration with hostile forces, and terrorism charges.
Capital punishment becomes a sentencing option under the framework, while simultaneously prohibiting anyone convicted through this process from being considered in future diplomatic talks or prisoner swap arrangements.
The proposal also requires all proceedings to stream live on a government-designated platform and be permanently archived in Israel's national records.
Legislative procedures now shift to the Knesset's Constitution Committee for detailed examination before returning for second and third readings. Israeli parliamentary rules require three separate approvals before any bill takes legal effect.
Israeli government agencies have not published official detention statistics related to October 7, though Israeli news organizations estimate thousands of Palestinians remain in custody.
Since October 2023, more than 71,400 Palestinians—predominantly women and children—have been killed with over 171,000 additional injuries documented throughout Gaza during Israeli military operations that have devastated the territory's infrastructure.
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