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Israel passes controversial death penalty legislation
Israel's parliament, the Knesset, unanimously approved a law on Tuesday allowing public trials and capital punishment for individuals involved in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. The bill received 93 votes in favor, with 27 lawmakers absent or abstaining.
Unprecedented bipartisan support
The legislation was co-sponsored by both government and opposition lawmakers, a rare show of unity. Yulia Malinovsky, an opposition politician and co-sponsor, framed the law as a historic moment for accountability.
"May everyone see how the victims and their families look into the whites of the eyes of those murderers, rapists, and kidnappers. The State of Israel is a sovereign state that knows how to hold those who harmed it to account."
Yulia Malinovsky, Knesset member
Malinovsky described the law as the "starting line" for trials that "the whole world will see."
Human rights groups raise alarms
Israeli human rights organizations have condemned the law, citing concerns over "show trials" and confessions allegedly obtained through torture. Sari Bashi, executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, warned of mass executions based on coerced testimony.
"The people responsible for attacking civilians in southern Israel should be held accountable, but not like this. They deserve due process, and the death penalty should never be on the table."
Sari Bashi, Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
The Israeli government denies allegations of widespread torture, asserting compliance with international law.
Legal framework for historic trials
The new law establishes a special military court in Jerusalem to prosecute those accused of direct involvement in the October 7 attacks, including members of Hamas's Nukhba special forces unit. Charges may include terrorism, murder, sexual violence, and genocide, with the death penalty as a possible sentence.
Key hearings-such as opening statements, verdicts, and sentencing-will be broadcast on a dedicated website. The trials are expected to rely on adjusted evidentiary rules to accommodate the scale and significance of the proceedings.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin stated that an investigation team reviewed thousands of hours of video evidence and interrogated captured suspects. Documentation from the trials will be preserved in the State Archives.
Families seek answers and justice
Victims' families, including Carmit Palty Katzir, participated in parliamentary discussions about the law. Katzir, whose brother and father were killed and mother taken hostage, emphasized the need for transparency.
"It's important to understand that in so many ways this event hasn't ended. So many families have been left with completely open-ended questions about the murders. A bulk of information simply doesn't get to us."
Carmit Palty Katzir, victim's relative
Katzir called for sensitive details to be shared with families before public release but also stressed that the trials address only one aspect of justice. Many families demand an independent inquiry into the failures leading to the attacks.
Detainees and Gaza reactions
Israel currently holds 1,283 individuals as "unlawful combatants," most from Gaza, without formal charges. An additional 300-400 Gazans are detained as criminal defendants suspected of involvement in the October 7 attacks.
In Gaza City, families of missing or detained relatives protested the law outside the International Committee of the Red Cross headquarters. Hisham al-Wahad, whose brother-a journalist-went missing near the Erez crossing, called the law "cruel" and urged international intervention.
"This law tries to take away the hope that you're living on. We call on states and public opinion to stop such a law."
Hisham al-Wahad, brother of missing journalist
Broader implications and public opinion
While Israel has not executed anyone since 1962 (when Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was hanged), recent polls show growing support for the death penalty among Jewish Israelis, particularly for Nukhba fighters convicted of terrorism.
Surveys also indicate strong public demand for an independent commission to investigate the October 7 attacks, though the current government has committed only to a state-led inquiry.
