Israel approves death penalty that solely targets Palestinians

The Israeli occupation has used every method imaginable to exact a slow death on Palestinian prisoners. In the latest chapter of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has now formalised the execution of political detainees — exclusively for Palestinians.

Israel passes death penalty bill

On 30 March, the Knesset’s National “Security” Committee approved a death penalty law — strictly against Palestinian detainees —  with 62 in favour and 47 against. The International Criminal Court (ICC) wanted war-criminal prime minister Netanyahu of course voted ‘yes’ to no one’s surprise.

Israeli judges can now issue death sentences without a unanimous ruling, and the Israeli Prison Service will be responsible for execution, by hanging, within 90 days of sentencing.

The death penalty will be activated without prior proceedings in any case where a Palestinian is perceived to have, or accused of intentionally, or negligently, causing the death of an “Israeli” citizen:

out of racial or ideological hatred, or with the aim of harming Israel.

Fascist minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party (Otzma Yehudits), and an illegal settler, initiated this legislation. It also received direct backing from Netanyahu, as a central policy priority for his government, and right wing ideologues.

Far-right Knesset Deputy Speaker Limor Son Har-Melech celebrated Purim by dressing up as “death penalty for terrorists.”

Far-right Israeli Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Limor Son Har-Melech appeared in a Purim costume holding a noose and a mock lethal injection device, along with props including a gun labeled “Occupation,” an airplane marked “Expulsion,” and a house marked “Settlement.”

She was… pic.twitter.com/E2u0WN4OXv

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 5, 2026

Ben Gvir, who has appeared wearing a noose-shaped lapel pin, while demanding the death penalty for Palestinian detainees, had previously boasted that he received 100 messages from doctors keen to give a lethal injection to Palestinian prisoners.

Earlier in March, Ben-Gvir shared footage of an execution platform, reportedly prepared for Palestinian political prisoners, signalling a direct threat to implement the death penalty against them. At the same time, he has been lobbying the government to pardon Israeli occupation soldiers who executed two surrendered Palestinians in Jenin, occupied West Bank.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir filmed himself in front of gallows at a Jerusalem museum, threatening the death penalty for “terrorists”.

He is leading a push to expand the grounds for executions, a move human rights groups say is discriminatory. pic.twitter.com/O4F88wN1Se

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 19, 2026

Ben-Gvir taunts Palestinians from the gallows

The Zionist regime must face economic isolation, investigation, and accountability.

Prisoner institutions last week released a statement calling for immediate action to stop the Execution of Prisoners Law. According to them, occupation prisons have:

been transformed into integrated systems of systematic torture aimed at killing more Palestinian prisoners.

They have repeatedly called for:

• The prosecution of those involved in torture, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed against prisoners
• Suspension of all diplomatic, military and economic cooperation with the Israeli occupation until it fully complies with international law
• The Knesset and Israeli occupation courts to be treated as racist institutions, and working towards their international isolation, including rejecting their membership in international parliament and federation
• The immediate and unconditional release of all Palestinian political prisoners, including
• Ending the policy of administrative detention
• Dismantling the military court system
• Opening independent and transparent investigations into all cases of torture and martyrdom inside prisons
• Full cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), supporting its investigations, and executing arrest warrants against those responsible for international crimes
• Enabling the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit prisoners and examine their detention conditions without restrictions.

These institutions emphasised that the international community’s failure to act and its ongoing complicity in the face of genocide have allowed Israel’s occupation to escalate—with the new execution law representing the peak of this ongoing genocidal trajectory.

Torture as “state doctrine”

In her new report, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, warns that torture, a “state doctrine” in ‘Israel,’ has transformed prisons instruments of genocide and torture. According to Albanese, what she describes as a “laboratory of calculated cruelty” is:

defended by politicians, nationalised by legal institutions, sanitised by media narrative and tolerated by governments that continue to arm and shield Israel.

Since October 2023, 18,500 Palestinians have been arrested by the Israeli occupation, including 1500 children. As of March 2026, more than 9440 Palestinian and Arab political prisoners have been locked-up. More than half are held under administrative detention, without trial or change, and unable to see the “secret” file of evidence keeping them behind bars. Israeli authorities also continue to deny visitation rights to families and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

As of March 2026, some 9,446 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons; 4,691 of them are under administrative detention, imprisoned without charge, trial, or the ability to defend themselves.

Even during the illegal and deadly Israeli-American attack on Iran, Israel continues… pic.twitter.com/RpxvV3L01y

— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) March 23, 2026

Israel goes after prisoners’ wives

There is an escalation of arrests of prisoners’ wives in the West Bank, which the Palestinian Centre for Prisoner’s Advocacy calls “a blatant Israeli act of blackmail.” There are currently around 80 female political detainees held in occupation prisons. Most are held under administrative detention, without trial or charge, on the basis of what the occupation claims is “incitement” on social media.

This targeting of women, in their homes, is part of an ongoing policy of pressure aimed at keeping prisoners and their families in constant state of fear and instability.

Through neglect and torture, the Israeli occupation has intentionally killed more 100 Palestinian political prisoners since October 2023.

The most recent to be killed was 54 year old Marwan Herzallah, a journalist from Nablus. He was detained since 8 January, but had not been charged with any “offense”. Herzallah’s leg was amputated in 1995 after Israeli occupation forces (IOF) shot him. He died in Megiddo prison.

Another Palestinian detainee killed in Israeli prisons: the 54 years old Palestinian civilian Marwan Hirzallah who was arrested by the Israeli army in Nablus on the 8th of January this year was announced dead today in an Israeli jail. pic.twitter.com/Dh1M6yCAAc

— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) March 28, 2026

Palestinians are an occupied people and have a legal right to fight for freedom and end the Zionist occupation in any way they choose. This includes armed resistance. This law not only targets Palestinians, but also strips them of what little protection they may have had under international law.

Featured image via the Canary