Israeli experts warn of ‘grave international implications’ from proposed death penalty law for Palestinian prisoners

Legal and security experts in Israel have voiced opposition to a proposed bill that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners convicted of attacks, warning it could carry "grave international implications."

The draft legislation, which passed its first reading in the Knesset in November 2025 after being introduced by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, mandates capital punishment for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis. However, it allows Israeli citizens convicted of the same offense to face life imprisonment instead.

Under the bill, anyone who "intentionally or unintentionally" causes the death of an Israeli citizen would be subject to the death penalty.

The bill must still pass second and third readings before becoming law. The Knesset has not yet set a date for the final votes.

One of the bill's clauses, Haaretz newspaper said, states that the defense minister "may allow a military commander to determine that a West Bank resident who intentionally caused the death of a person under circumstances deemed to be terrorism can be punished only by death. The law states that this determination does not apply to an Israeli citizen or resident."

The bill has support in the Knesset from several parties, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party.

The Knesset's National Security Committee is holding deliberations with specialists before bringing the bill to second and third readings.

Haaretz said that during deliberations in the Knesset's National Security Committee, legal and security officials warned that parts of the bill are "unlawful" and would 'have serious international implications.'"

"The wording would be the last before the committee began hearing the reservations to the law before it is sent for second and third votes in the full Knesset," committee chairman and far-right lawmaker Tzvika Foghel said.

Yuval Zilber, an official in the Defense Ministry's legal department, cited complications in the section of the law granting additional authority to the defense minister.

He noted that Defense Minister Israel Katz's position on the issue "had not yet been formulated."

Justice Ministry official Lilach Wagner said the bill "did not meet constitutional standards."

During the committee deliberations, Wagner noted that even security officials themselves "took a cautious approach" regarding whether the bill achieves its declared main purpose, while it is clear that the proposal carries "weighty international implications."

According to the newspaper, Defense Ministry official Eliran Ben Eliezer told lawmakers that "the prohibition on mitigating the punishment of Palestinians from the West Bank violated a clause in the Geneva Convention," adding that the ministry opposes the inclusion of this clause.

More than 9,300 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli prisons, including children and women, and they suffer torture, starvation and medical neglect that have led to the deaths of dozens, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights and media reports.

Over time, Israel has accumulated what it describes as a body of "laws" that critics label as racist and aimed at tightening restrictions on the Palestinian people, seizing their land and forcing displacement.