Amnesty Worldwide says laws would imply ‘punishment is being reserved for, and weaponised in opposition to, Palestinians’.
Printed On 3 Feb 2026
Amnesty Worldwide has known as on Israel to desert legislation that may broaden the usage of the loss of life penalty, warning that the measures would violate worldwide regulation and “additional entrench Israel’s apartheid system” in opposition to Palestinians.
In a press release on Tuesday, the human rights group stated two payments under discussion in the Knesset would mark a serious reversal of Israel’s longstanding opposition to capital punishment and would disproportionately goal Palestinians.
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The proposals, championed by authorities figures, together with far-right Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, would make the loss of life penalty “one other discriminatory instrument in Israel’s system of apartheid”, Amnesty Worldwide stated.
“These amendments imply that essentially the most excessive and irrevocable punishment is being reserved for, and weaponised in opposition to, Palestinians,” it stated.
“If adopted, these payments would distance Israel from the overwhelming majority of states which have rejected the loss of life penalty in regulation or in observe, whereas additional entrenching its merciless system of apartheid in opposition to all Palestinians whose rights Israel controls.”
Israeli authorities have defended the measures, that are transferring to committee levels for debate, as a obligatory deterrent in opposition to lethal assaults.
However authorized consultants stated their scope and utility would violate worldwide authorized norms and outcome within the unjust remedy of Palestinians.
The laws is being thought of throughout Israel’s genocidal war in opposition to Palestinians within the Gaza Strip and a surge in Israeli navy and settler violence in opposition to Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution.
‘Reviving’ capital punishment
Israel abolished the loss of life penalty for “strange crimes”, together with homicide, in 1954 and has not carried out an execution since 1962.
Whereas it retains the loss of life penalty for distinctive offences, equivalent to genocide and treason, Amnesty Worldwide stated the proposed laws would “revive its implementation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territory” whereas weakening safeguards designed to forestall miscarriages of justice.
The payments embrace one that may enable for the appliance of the loss of life penalty by amending the Israeli Penal Legislation and the Defence Laws that Israel applies to the West Financial institution, the group stated.
A second would introduce particular provisions and an advert hoc navy courtroom to prosecute these accused of involvement within the Hamas-led assaults on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The rights group stated proposed amendments to navy legal guidelines relevant within the West Financial institution that may enable the loss of life penalty would in impact apply solely to Palestinians as a result of they might explicitly exclude residents of Israeli settlements, that are unlawful underneath worldwide regulation.
Different adjustments, equivalent to an modification making use of to these accused of deliberately inflicting “the loss of life of an individual with the purpose of harming an Israeli citizen or resident” or regarding violations related with the October 7 assaults, have been additionally more likely to solely influence Palestinians, it stated.
