Fears Haunt Families of Gaza Prisoners as 'Execution' Law Nears Approval in Knesset

The intensity of anxiety is escalating in the homes of Palestinian prisoner families in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli Knesset's General Assembly approaches a final vote on a bill to execute prisoners. This legislation, which is in its final stages, has caused increased terror among families who already suffer from a lack of news about their sons and their harsh detention conditions.

In Gaza City, the elderly 'Abu Ibrahim' embodies the tragedy of hundreds of families, as he awaits the fate of his son Mohammed, detained for two years. The grieving father says that news of the new law has intensified their suffering, especially given the occupation's refusal to disclose any official information about his son's charges or current place of detention.

Earlier, the Knesset's National Security Committee referred the bill for a vote in its second and third readings, to become effective before the Passover holiday in early April. The law specifically targets Palestinian prisoners accused of participating in killings, while exempting Israelis accused of similar crimes against Palestinians.

Testimonies from released prisoners reaching families reveal a tragic reality inside prisons, including continuous torture and deliberate medical neglect. Families believe that the occupation, which practices slow killing through deprivation of treatment, now seeks legal cover to carry out official executions in cold blood.

Israa, the wife of prisoner Ahmed, describes the moment she heard about the legislation's progress as a 'heart uprising and oppression,' affirming that she tries to hide this news from her young children to protect them from the shock. The family clings to faint threads of hope received through released prisoners, in the absence of any official communication channels with detainees for many long months.

In a related context, Alaa, the wife of prisoner (M.R.), recounts how the law became an impenetrable barrier to her desire for life, especially since her husband was arrested during the storming of Al-Shifa Hospital. She bitterly wonders how to explain this fate to her children, while the family is still healing from the wounds of her eldest son's martyrdom in previous events.

For his part, Thaer Shreiteh, spokesperson for the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, affirmed that the execution of prisoners has been an actual practice for years and is not a new one. He explained that the current attempt aims to legitimize what happens in 'human slaughterhouses' and army camps, especially since the start of the recent war on the Gaza Strip.

The Commission's data reveals the documentation of 89 execution cases inside Israeli detention centers over the past two years for prisoners whose identities were known, while the fate of dozens remains unknown. Shreiteh believes that the law aims to provide a legal loophole for killings that occurred under torture, and to later claim they were carried out according to the law.

According to human rights analyses, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to appease the extremist wing of his government coalition, specifically the 'Jewish Power' party. The issue of prisoners is used as fuel for political propaganda and to ensure the survival of the ruling coalition, exploiting the international community's preoccupation with successive regional crises.

Lawyer Nadine Abu Arafa, specializing in prisoner affairs, conveyed a state of extreme anticipation inside prisons, where detainees repeatedly ask questions about the nature of the law and its implementation mechanisms. She indicated that prisoners from the Gaza Strip are the most psychologically affected by these threats, due to their exposure to exceptional and harsh patterns of isolation and classification.

The bill stipulates that the death penalty will be carried out by hanging, under the supervision of wardens who enjoy full criminal immunity and complete secrecy of their identities. This clause raises widespread human rights concerns about prisons turning into arenas for settling scores away from any real judicial or international oversight.

Currently, more than 9,500 Palestinian prisoners are held in occupation prisons, including thousands administratively detained without clear charges, and more than 1,200 classified as 'unlawful combatants.' These legislative moves come at a time when policies of repression and abuse inside prisons have escalated unprecedentedly since October 2023.

Families of prisoners have issued urgent appeals to the international community and human rights organizations to intervene immediately and stop this 'legislative madness.' These families emphasize that international silence on these laws gives the occupation a green light to commit more crimes against defenseless prisoners whose protection is guaranteed by international laws.

In conclusion, faith and steadfastness remain the last refuge for the mothers of prisoners, as expressed by the mother of prisoner Osama, who arms herself with patience in the face of Ben Gvir's threats. Families stress that these laws, despite their harshness, will not break their will to demand the freedom of their sons and their safe return despite all the grim circumstances.

Have mercy on the prisoners of Gaza... Press for their relief, we fear that these unjust laws will steal what hope we have left.