Israel approves death penalty bill for Oct 7 accused; rights groups allege unfair trial process
Israeli legislators have approved a bill regarding the death penalty for suspects of the October 7th attacks. Human rights groups have stated concerns over the alleged unfairness of trials under the new law.
Special tribunal with power to impose capital punishment
Israeli legislators have approved a bill to establish a special tribunal with the power to impose death penalty on Palestinians accused of involvement in the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October, 2023.
Overwhelming parliamentary support
The bill titled “Prosecution Law for the October 7 Massacre” received extensive support, jointly sponsored by government and opposing politicians. It passed with 93 votes in favour and zero against in the Knesset, Israel’s 120-seat parliament. The remaining 27 legislators were either absent or abstained from voting.
Opposition support
Opposition politician and co-sponsor of the bill, Yulia Malinovsky dedicated the law to “the murdered victims, the hostages, and their families”, according to news outlet The Times of Israel. “These will be the trials of the modern-day Nazis, and they will go down in the history books”, she said.
Past legislation
The Israeli parliament passed a bill earlier in March, approving the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism offences. However, the law does not apply retroactively, requiring separate legislation for the October 2023 suspects.
Human rights groups voice concerns
Key moments from the trial are due to be publicly broadcast on a dedicated website. Multiple human rights groups have reportedly voiced concerns over the law, warning that public broadcasting would turn the hearings into “show trials” and confessions could be extracted under torture.
Law covers war crimes: Hamas
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the new law "serves as a cover for the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza”. An international law expert at Yale Law School said the new law raised some concerns about due process, given the military court setting and risk of atrocity proceedings turning into politicised "show trials", reported news agency Reuters. Concerns over the alleged scale of the convictions have also arisen.
The Gaza conflict
The Hamas-led attack on Israel reportedly killed over 1,200 people with 251 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent response in Gaza has killed at least 72,740 people, majorly children, women and the elderly, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. As part of an investigation into the conflict initiated on 7 October, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a sealed arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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