Israel Passes Death Penalty Law Targeting Palestinians

Israel's Knesset approved a law on Monday by 62 votes to 48 making the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly "terror" attacks in military courts, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voting in favor.

The bill stipulates that executions by hanging would be carried out within 90 days of sentencing, with a possible postponement of up to 180 days, and applies to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank tried under military law.

Human rights groups, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and several European foreign ministers condemned the legislation, and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel immediately petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge it.

The bill was championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who celebrated its passage, and was approved amid warnings from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom that it risks undermining democratic commitments.

The law is due to enter into effect within 30 days and the Supreme Court will now decide whether to hear the legal challenge, while critics say it entrenches unequal treatment between Palestinians under military courts and Israelis under civilian law.