DaysofPal – Hamas stated that the directive issued by the Israeli Defense Minister, “war criminal Israel Katz,” to immediately implement execution policies against Palestinian prisoners represents a dangerous escalation. The movement said the move is a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws and an extension of a systematic policy of criminality and state terror practiced by the occupation against the Palestinian people.
In a press statement released on Monday, Hamas described the decision as a “cowardly criminal measure” that would not deter Palestinians from continuing their legitimate struggle and resistance in defense of their land and holy sites.
The movement added that decades of confrontation with the Israeli occupation had shown that policies of intimidation, assassination, and threats of execution had only strengthened Palestinian determination to defend their rights and resist the colonial and Judaization projects.
Hamas also called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights and legal organizations to assume their responsibilities by pressuring the Israeli government to revoke the racist and illegitimate decision.
The group further urged efforts to hold Israeli leaders accountable for crimes and violations against Palestinians and called for a comprehensive boycott of Israel until it halts policies of killing, intimidation, and repression.
The statement comes amid one of the most dangerous legislative shifts within Israel concerning Palestinian prisoners. On 11 May, the Israeli Knesset approved in its second and third readings a bill allowing the prosecution of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners accused of participating in the 7 October 2023 “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation under a special judicial track that could ultimately lead to death sentences.
According to the proposal, the law specifically targets members of the “Nukhba” forces who took part in crossing into settlements surrounding Gaza during the operation. Critics say the legislation marks a transition from Israel’s longstanding policy of “field executions” and “slow killing” inside prisons toward granting formal legal cover for the public execution of Palestinian prisoners.
In March, the Israeli Knesset also approved legislation allowing for the execution of Palestinian prisoners by hanging inside prisons, a move that rights organizations described as an unprecedented development in the treatment of Palestinian detainees.
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