Israel Legitimizes Killing: Widespread International and UN Condemnation of the Approval of the Palestinian Prisoner Execution Law

The Israeli Knesset has finally approved a law that legitimizes the execution of Palestinian prisoners accused by the occupation of carrying out deadly attacks. The law was approved by a majority of 62 members against 48, in a move described as a radical shift in the occupation's legislative system towards more extremism.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged the occupation authorities to immediately repeal this legislation, emphasizing that it flagrantly violates the principles of international humanitarian law. Türk explained that the law lacks fair trial guarantees and is characterized by blatant discrimination against Palestinians subject to military courts.

The new law stipulates the mandatory imposition of the death penalty by 'hanging' on anyone who deliberately causes the death of an Israeli in what the occupation classifies as a 'terrorist act'. The law also strips away any authority to grant pardons or commute sentences, making it an irreversible legal killing tool.

Israeli legislation has set a strict time limit for the execution of sentences, with executions to be carried out within a period not exceeding 90 days from the date of the final judgment. This urgency reflects the far-right's desire to turn prisons into arenas for carrying out systematic executions under legal cover.

The voting session saw a notable presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who expressed full support for the law and voted in favor of it. Following the announcement of the results, a celebratory atmosphere prevailed within the Knesset, led by the extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is considered the primary driver of this legislation.

Sources reported that Ben-Gvir celebrated the approval of the law in a provocative manner, appearing wearing a symbol representing a noose, a clear indication of his intention to begin carrying out executions. Observers considered this law a transition from a policy of silent killing within prisons to public and legalized killing.

On the Arab front, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Presidency expressed their strong anger, considering the law a violation of international conventions and a dangerous escalation. These parties warned that Israel is disregarding all legal and moral obligations towards prisoners and detainees.

Internationally, major capitals such as Paris, Berlin, London, and Rome expressed strong reservations about the law, hinting at the possibility of taking diplomatic measures. The European Union also hinted at the possibility of suspending the partnership agreement with Israel in response to this deterioration in the human rights file.

For its part, a statement by Amnesty International described the approval of the law as a 'public display of brutality,' emphasizing that Israel seeks to entrench an apartheid system. The organization pointed out that this legislation aims to provide legal cover for the liquidation operations that Palestinians are already subjected to.

In a related context, legal experts specializing in prisoner affairs warned that the law will be applied in military courts that lack the minimum standards of international justice. Lawyer Khaled Mahajneh affirmed that the occupation seeks to exploit global preoccupation with regional wars to carry out massacres against detainees behind bars.

Human rights statistics indicate that there are more than 9,300 Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons, living in very harsh detention conditions. Among these detainees are about 350 children and 66 women, who face real dangers under the new retaliatory laws.

Since October 2023, the pace of violations within prisons has escalated, with more than 100 prisoners martyred as a result of direct torture or deliberate medical negligence. This law comes to crown a series of punitive measures that included starvation and deprivation of the most basic human rights.

Social media platforms witnessed a wave of widespread anger, as Palestinian and Arab activists launched campaigns demanding urgent international intervention to save the prisoners. Activists published videos documenting the suffering of detainees, warning that international silence would encourage the occupation to proceed with executions.

Palestinian national and Islamic forces called for a broad public stance to confront this serious challenge, urging the United Nations and the Red Cross to assume their responsibilities. The factions affirmed that harming the lives of prisoners would ignite the situation uncontrollably in all occupied territories.

The law raises serious concerns about violations of due process, is highly discriminatory, and must be immediately repealed.