On Monday, 11 May, Israel’s parliament approved legislation establishing a special tribunal with the authority to impose the death penalty on Palestinians who are linked to taking part in the 7 October 2023 resistance attack that triggered the war in Gaza. The bill passed by 93 votes to zero in the 120-seat Knesset on Monday, with the remaining 27 lawmakers either absent or choosing to abstain. The near-unanimous vote signals broad political consensus for the measure within the Israeli legislature. The new tribunal is separate from a law passed in March that already allows the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis, a measure that drew sharp condemnation from the international community and human rights organisations, who called it discriminatory and inhumane. Under the new legislation, a panel of judges can hand down the death sentence by majority vote. Proceedings must be held in a Jerusalem courtroom and livestreamed publicly. Defendants retain the right to appeal, but their cases must go before a dedicated appeals court rather than the regular court system. The legislation comes as Palestinians resisting the occupation face suppression not only physically but increasingly in…
