Israel's parliament, the Knesset, approved a contentious law on Monday night making death by hanging the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly terrorist attacks, a move championed by far-right ministers that critics condemned as discriminatory and a violation of international norms.
The "Penal Bill (Amendment — Death Penalty for Terrorists)" passed its second and third readings by a vote of 62-48 with one abstention, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally attending the session to cast his support. The legislation, driven by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, takes effect within 30 days and applies primarily in the occupied West Bank.
