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 the digital sphere. A 2024 report by Sada Social, a Palestinian digital rights organisation, documented over 25,000 violations against Palestinian digital content across major platforms, including content takedowns, shadow banning, and account suspensions.
On the ground, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Just over 10 percent of the funding needed for critical humanitarian operations in 2026 has been secured. In Gaza, two aid workers were killed in separate incidents, forcing the suspension of health and water services, while restrictions on the entry of generators, engine oil, and spare parts are causing widespread system failures.
Since October 2023, the death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 72,737, with 172,539 others injured, according to local medical sources.
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