Israel: Death penalty bill for Palestinians advances to Knesset
An Israeli parliamentary committee on November 3rd approved a controversial bill that would permit the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis on nationalistic grounds, setting the stage for its first reading in the Knesset, as reported by the Middle East Eye and agencies.
The proposal, advanced by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Jewish Power party, applies exclusively to Palestinians. Israelis convicted of killing Palestinians under similar circumstances, such as settlers or occupational forces in the West Bank and Gaza who have killed Palestinians, would not fall under the legislation’s scope.
The bill has circulated among far-right parties in Israel for years but has gained renewed momentum following October 7th 2023. Israeli security officials were formerly against the measure, claiming that it could endanger Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. However, Prisoners and Missing Persons Coordinator, Gal Hirsch, said to the committee that those objections were no longer relevant following the liberation of all living captives by Hamas in October 2025.
Hirsch described the proposal as “a tool in the toolbox that allows us to fight terror and secure the release of hostages,” according to reports in Israeli media. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly endorsed the bill’s advancement.
Ben Gvir expressed gratitude for Netanyahu’s endorsement, declaring on the social media platform X that “every terrorist who goes out to murder must know that the death penalty will be imposed on him.” He also urged lawmakers to ensure that judges have no discretion in such cases, advocating for mandatory capital punishment for convicted offenders.
The bill could move to its first parliamentary reading on October 5th, marking a significant step towards reinstating capital punishment in Israel, which has been used only once in the country’s history for the 1962 execution of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann.
Hamas issued a statement claiming that the legislation “embodies the ugly fascist face of the rogue Zionist occupation” and urged international bodies to investigate the treatment of Palestinian prisoners. The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Advocacy said the proposal “constitutes an Israeli war crime” and warned it could trigger “a new cycle of chaos” across the region.
Human rights organisations have raised concerns over Israel’s detention practices since the Gaza war began. Reports from NGOs and the United Nations experts have documented widespread torture, abuse, and denial of legal access since October 2023.
Middle East Eye and agencies, The Guardian, Maghrebi.org
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