DaysofPal – The Israeli Knesset on Monday evening approved, in its second and third readings, a controversial law concerning the prosecution of individuals accused of involvement in the events of October 7, 2023, targeting Palestinian detainees held by Israeli occupation.
The law was passed with the support of 93 members of parliament and was introduced by Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman and Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky.
According to the legislation, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails could face the death penalty.
The law also prohibits their release under any future prisoner exchange agreements.
Israeli media reported that detainees tried under this law will never be released, even as part of negotiated swaps, and that the legislation ensures the prosecution of those accused and the imposition of severe penalties, including execution.
However, the law has drawn significant warnings from legal experts and human rights advocates, who argue that such measures fail to meet international standards of fairness and due process, while institutionalizing an exceptional legal framework specifically targeting Palestinian detainees.
Prisoners’ affairs specialist and human rights lawyer Hassan Abdel Rabbo described the move as an “unprecedented development,” particularly aimed at detainees connected to the October 7 events.
He warned of plans to establish special military courts with the authority to issue death sentences, as part of accelerated legislative and judicial efforts to pass the “execution law,” enabling the implementation of such rulings against Palestinian prisoners.
The Knesset had previously approved, in March, a law permitting the execution of Palestinian detainees by hanging inside prisons, a step that rights groups described as a major and unprecedented shift in the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli occupation forces continue to detain hundreds of individuals from the Gaza Strip, including at least 1,283 classified as “unlawful combatants,” a designation that allows for their detention without standard legal procedures.
Recent data from Palestinian rights organizations, including the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, and Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, indicate that the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons has risen to more than 9,400 as of early May 2026.
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