'A more arbitrary and extreme regime': In the West Bank, Israel toughens death penalty law for Palestinians
Israel has implemented a new death penalty law for Palestinians accused of terrorism, which has drawn international condemnation. The law, enacted through a military order, applies specifically to acts aimed at denying the existence of the State of Israel. Critics argue that it disproportionately affects Palestinians while exempting Jewish individuals from similar penalties.
- ▪The Israeli parliament voted to introduce the death penalty for Palestinians accused of deadly acts of terrorism.
- ▪The law officially came into effect in the West Bank on May 17, 2026, through a military order.
- ▪The legislation limits judges' discretion and reduces defense options for defendants in military courts.
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Relatives of Palestinian prisoners hold up portraits during a rally organized on May 19, 2026, in Nablus to protest the new Israeli death penalty law. JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP The Israeli parliament's vote at the end of March to introduce the death penalty for Palestinians accused of deadly acts of terrorism sparked outrage across the world. Seven weeks after its adoption, the law officially came into effect in the West Bank on Sunday, May 17, by way of a "military order" issued by the Israeli army's chief commander in the area, General Avi Bluth. The order implements a harsher version of the law passed on March 30 by the Knesset, backed by the governing coalition and part of the parliamentary opposition.
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