Israel’s death penalty law A legal reckoning under international law

On March 30, 2026, the Israeli Knesset passed a law in its second and third readings, making death by hanging the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks. The law passed with 62 votes in favour and was promoted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who wore noose-shaped lapel pins during the legislative process. The legislation is explicitly discriminatory, designed to apply to Palestinian prisoners while exempting Israeli citizens who commit similar crimes. Under the law, executions must be carried out within 90 days of sentencing, with no right to clemency or pardon. Approximately 9,500 to 10,800 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in Israeli prisons and detention centres. Hundreds of these convicts are currently at imminent risk due to the new law, as they are facing life sentences. A minimum of 84 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli detention since October 7, 2023, with a substantial number of them succumbing to torture, medical negligence and systematic abuse. The Act breaches several international legal systems. Firstly, it infringes upon Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which safeguards the right to life. Mandatory death sentences “violate the right to life” according to UN experts, as they eradicate judicial discretion, which prevents courts from considering mitigating factors or imposing proportionate sentences. Secondly, the law infringes upon Article 14 of the ICCPR, which ensures the right to a fair trial. Israeli military tribunals have a conviction rate that exceeds 99 per cent for Palestinian defendants. These trials are conducted in a language that is not widely understood, rely on coerced confessions and have severely restricted access to counsel. There is also secret evidence. Thirdly, the law exclusively targets Palestinians, thereby violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Fourth, Arti