- Israel's Knesset has passed a new law making death by hanging a default sentence for terrorism-related offences, a move human rights organisations have condemned as "cruel" and discriminatory.
- The legislation is expected to disproportionately affect West Bank Palestinians, despite technically applying to Israeli citizens, with legal experts noting its wording effectively targets Palestinian citizens of Israel.
- Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, B'Tselem, and Amnesty International, criticised the bill for entrenching a two-tiered justice system, normalising the killing of Palestinians, and potentially leading to executions based on confessions extracted under duress.
- The bill, which passed with a 62-48 vote, does not apply retroactively to existing prisoners, including those involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks, and was met with celebration by far-right security minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
- Critics argue the law contradicts international conventions by not allowing for pardons and highlights a concerning trend of dehumanisation, with the Israel Prison Service reportedly already preparing designated execution facilities.
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