Israel’s ‘death penalty’ law should be repealed: Amnesty

Amnesty International said on Tuesday the Israeli authorities must urgently repeal legislative amendments expanding Israel's use of the death penalty, adopted with support from 62 Knesset members.

"Israel's parliament adopted the first in a series of laws facilitating the death penalty, showing cruelty, discrimination and contempt for human rights," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International senior director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.

She noted that military courts, "with conviction rates over 99% for Palestinian defendants, can impose almost mandatory death sentences within 90 days, removing basic fair-trial safeguards."

"This law comes the same month the Israeli military dropped all charges against soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee, a move celebrated by the prime minister," she added.

Israel's Knesset passed the law on Monday, making the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of lethal attacks against Israelis.

More than 9,300 Palestinians, including 350 children and 66 women, are currently held in Israeli jails, according to prisoners' rights organizations and the Israeli Prison Service.

Reports indicate they suffer from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, which have led to dozens of deaths.

Since October 2023, Israel has intensified measures against Palestinian prisoners amid its military campaign on the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 72,000 people and injured 172,000, according to local authorities.