DaysofPal – Palestinian prisoner advocacy organizations have warned that the Israeli Knesset’s approval of a special law targeting detainees arrested over the events of October 7 represents a new and dangerous step in a system of settler legislation that entrenches the ongoing crime of genocide against the Palestinian people.
The law provides for the establishment of an exceptional court dedicated to detainees from Gaza who Israeli authorities claim were involved in the events of October 7, 2023. The legislation also allows for the imposition of the death penalty against those convicted under its provisions.
The prison institutions asserted in a statement on Tuesday that the law is a blatant violation of both international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The statement said that the new law infringes upon a number of fundamental and unalienable rights, most notably the right to life, the right to a fair trial, and the guarantees of due process.
The organizations also highlighted the “absolute prohibition of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment” to which Palestinian prisoners are allegedly subjected in Israeli prisons.
They added that the provisions of the law are inseparable from a broader racist legislative track previously advanced by the Israeli Knesset, including the passage of legislation known as the “execution law for Palestinian prisoners.”
“The new provisions are a continuation of a systematic legislative approach aimed at providing internal legal cover for international crimes committed against the Palestinian people,” the statement said.
According to the prisoner groups, the latest legislation further entrenches the role of the Knesset as “one of the central tools within the Israeli system of terror,” which they said has directly contributed to consolidating genocide, sustaining the broader military offensive, and targeting Palestinian existence and national and human rights.
On Monday evening, the plenary session of the Knesset approved the bill in its second and third readings by a majority of 93 members. The legislation is aimed at prosecuting Palestinian detainees accused by Israeli authorities of involvement in the events of October 7, 2023.
The law permits the prosecution of individuals described by Israeli authorities as perpetrators of “the most serious crimes,” including offenses punishable by death, while also barring their release in future prisoner exchange agreements.
The Israeli parliament had previously given final approval on March 30, 2026, to what became known as the “execution law for Palestinian prisoners,” passing it by 62 votes to 48. The legislation mandates execution by hanging for Palestinian prisoners convicted of carrying out killings.
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