On March 30, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a new law that makes death by hanging the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly terrorist attacks against Israelis. The bill passed its third reading with 62 votes in favour and 48 votes against it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally voted in favour.
The new law permits execution within 90 days, sometimes extendable up to 180 days. Reports stated that it primarily targets Palestinians convicted in military courts for killing Israeli citizens in terror attacks. The law is for the Israeli military court system, which primarily tries Palestinians, not Israeli citizens.
In theory, Jewish Israelis can be tried under the law, but the practicality will be rare because the law states that the death penalty can only be carried out when the intention of the crime was ‘to negate the existence of the state of Israel.’
🇮🇱 The Jewish Knesset is celebrating the passing of a law making the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks in military courts.
— Europa.com (@europa) March 30, 2026
The law is expected to apply primarily to Palestinians under the military court system, as Israelis are not… pic.twitter.com/0YLrfYMfoj
The Israeli political voices are divided on it. While most right-wing voices like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir support it strongly, many others are concerned about violating human rights.
Members of Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party were seen wearing golden pins shaped like a noose in December 2025, when the law was being debated in parliament.
Israel has used the death penalty only once since its foundation in 1948, when it hanged Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.
The United Nations has criticised the Israeli parliament’s approval of a new death penalty law, warning that its application in the occupied Palestinian territory “would constitute a war crime.” Volker Türk, the UN’s high commissioner for human rights, described the legislation… pic.twitter.com/c6R1muoCtR
— Outlook India (@Outlookindia) April 1, 2026
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned that its application, particularly in areas where Palesinians have lived, could constitute a war crime, and would violate the Geneva Convention, right to life and due proccess.
Human rights groups like Human Rights Watch and European leaders, including Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, have labeled it ‘apartheid-like’. Some Israeli human rights organisations are planning to appeal to the courts to strike it down.
The new law will be enforced in 30 days.
