Israel - March 2026

On 30 March, the Knesset passed an amendment to the Penal Law that expands the use of the death penalty for terrorism-related murder and is expected to disproportionately target Palestinians. Within Israel’s civilian court system, the amendment introduces provisions allowing capital punishment in cases involving the deliberate killing of a person with the intent to ‘negate the existence of the State of Israel.’ In the military court system operating in the occupied West Bank, it will apply to killings classified as ‘terrorism’ under Israeli law, and will not require a formal request from the prosecution. As the legislation distinguishes between jurisdictions in a way that excludes Israeli citizens and settlers from the military court provisions, its practical application would primarily impact Palestinians tried in West Bank military courts. The amendment is currently under review by the Supreme Court of Israel following a legal challenge by a rights organization.

Sources: The Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights