On Monday, March 30, 2026, the Israeli Knesset passed a controversial law that makes the death penalty by hanging the default punishment for Palestinians convicted of lethal "nationalistic" attacks.

 

Israel passes law to give death penalty to Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks

On Monday, March 30, 2026, the Israeli Knesset passed a controversial law that makes the death penalty by hanging the default punishment for Palestinians convicted of lethal "nationalistic" attacks.

 

Key Details of the New Law

Default Sentence: The law mandates the death penalty for those convicted in military courts of murdering an Israeli "as an act of terror".

Targeted Application: While technically applicable to all citizens under certain conditions (acts intended to "negate the existence of the State of Israel"), critics and legal experts state the law is designed to apply almost exclusively to Palestinians.

 

Judicial Process:

Sentences can be passed by a simple majority of judges; a unanimous decision is no longer required.

Military courts can only commute the sentence to life imprisonment in "special circumstances".

The law severely limits avenues for appeal and provides no right to clemency or pardon.

Execution Timeline: Death sentences must be carried out within 90 days of the final verdict.

Not Retroactive: The law will not apply to cases prior to its passage, including the perpetrators of the October 7, 2023 attacks, who are being addressed by a separate proposed bill.

 

Context and Reaction

The legislation was a major campaign pledge of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who celebrated the 62-48 vote in the Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also voted in favor of the measure.

 

Within minutes of the vote, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to strike down the law, calling it "discriminatory by design". International allies, including the EU, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, had previously urged Israel not to pass the bill, warning it violates democratic principles and international law.

 

Prior to this law, Israel had only carried out two executions in its history: Meir Tobianski in 1948 and Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.