Asia

Home page

Asia

Knesset passes law mandating death penalty for West Bank Palestinians convicted of terrorism

31 March 2026 00:29 (UTC +04:00)

The Knesset votes 62-48 to pass a controversial law mandating the death penalty for West Bank Palestinians convicted of carrying out deadly terror attacks, APA reports citing Times of Israel.

The vote is a major victory for far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, which has long lobbied for the measure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted for the bill.

“This is a day of justice for the victims and a day of deterrence for our enemies. No more revolving door for terrorists, but a clear decision. Whoever chooses terrorism chooses death,” says Ben Gvir in a statement.

The law, approved after nearly 12 hours of debate, mandates death by hanging as the default punishment for West Bank residents convicted of deadly terrorist acts by military courts. While judges can opt for life imprisonment under vaguely defined “special circumstances,” the death penalty would otherwise be mandatory.