An Israeli parliamentary committee yesterday examined a highly controversial bill aimed at establishing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners. Supported by the Minister of Far Right National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the text must still go to the first reading before the General Assembly of the Knesset.
The bill provides for the execution of Palestinian prisoners sentenced to having killed Israelis, reports on Monday, the Palestinian press agency Wafa. During the meeting of the National Security Committee, Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected calls to postpone the debate, saying: “This law is a topical issue, to create a strong deterrence and impose the death penalty on prisoners. »»
The initiative is part of the coalition agreements signed at the end of 2022 between the Likoud of Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right party Otzma Yehudit of Ben-Gvir.
In March 2023, a first version of the law had already taken the preliminary reading stage at the Knesset, with the support of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
This revival comes as the Israeli army has continued its attacks in Gaza and in the West Bank since October 2023. More than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed according to Palestinian sources, in a context of massive destruction and exacerbated tensions.
The bill is perceived by many observers as a new escalation of the security policy of the Zionist entity, strengthening the repressive arsenal against the Palestinian prisoners.
