Headline: Presidency Condemns Israeli Death Penalty Law for Palestinians as UN Warns of Apartheid Violation
RAMALLAH / UNITED NATIONS – The Palestinian Presidency has strongly condemned the Knesset’s passage of a law permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners, calling it a war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. The United Nations also demanded Israel immediately repeal the legislation, stating it entrenches racial segregation and apartheid.
In a statement issued Monday, the Palestinian Presidency said the new law breaches the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, undermining fair trial protections. The Presidency stressed that the measure, part of escalating Israeli policies across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, will not break the Palestinian will for freedom and an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Presidency welcomed a joint statement from several European countries urging Israel to abandon the law, and called on the international community to hold Israel accountable with sanctions over ongoing crimes against Palestinian detainees, including torture and solitary confinement.
Separately, the United Nations declared that the death penalty law contravenes Israel’s international obligations. The UN opposes capital punishment in all circumstances, stating implementation would violate the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment. Furthermore, the UN noted the law exclusively applies to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Israel—often convicted after unfair trials—thus further entrenching violations of the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid.
The Presidency warned the “racist” law could escalate tensions and destabilize the region, reaffirming that the issue of Palestinian prisoners remains a top priority.
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