Israel’s use of death penalty law on Palestinians to constitute ‘war crime’
Hundreds of Palestinians have protested across the occupied West Bank to denounce the passage of an Israeli law approving the use of the death penalty against Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks, which the United Nations human rights chief says could constitute a “war crime”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Volker Turk slammed the approval of the “deeply discriminatory” legislation and said that the death penalty becoming the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied territory was “patently inconsistent with Israel’s international law obligations”.
“Its application to residents of the occupied Palestinian territory would constitute a war crime,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, demonstrations were staged in several cities – including Ramallah, Tubas, Nablus and Jenin in the north and Hebron in the south – after calls by prisoner advocacy groups.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa said Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups and national factions staged a sit-in in the courtyard of the International Committee of the Red Cross headquarters in el-Bireh.
Participants displayed photographs of dozens of prisoners who have died in custody over the decades, Wafa added.
Palestinians protest outside the Red Cross offices in Ramallah in the West Bank on March 31
More than 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 73 women. Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups say detainees face torture, starvation and medical neglect, leading to dozens of deaths.
Israel’s Knesset passed the death penalty legislation on Monday evening in a 62-48 vote.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in support of the law.
Under the law, executions would be carried out by hanging by prison guards appointed by the Israeli Prison Service. Those involved would have anonymity and legal immunity.
The legislation also mandates transferring the Palestinians sentenced to death to special detention facilities and restricting their visitors to authorised parties. Meetings with lawyers would be limited to video communications.
Bishop Shomali: Let us not forget Gaza and the West Bank
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-04/bishop-shomali-do-not-forget-gaza-west-bank-jerusalem.html
In an interview with Vatican News, the vicar general of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem calls for continued attention to Gaza and the West Bank as “two million people are still suffering.”
“Gaza is forgotten. Today all attention is on Iran and southern Lebanon, but in the Strip, two million people are still suffering: the issue is unresolved.” Speaking by phone to Vatican News, Bishop William Shomali, vicar general of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem since 2021, made an appeal to keep focus on what is still happening in the Strip.
The economy there is collapsing, and many basic necessities remain scarce: medicines, antibiotics, medical equipment. “Security is lacking,” he warned. “Every day Palestinians in Gaza are killed, while the Rafah crossing does not function as it should.” The bishop lamented that in regards to reconstruction, “no one talks about it anymore.” Yet “80% of the infrastructure is still destroyed.” Those who can, and manage to, flee the enclave. He said many go to Australia, where around 50 families have been welcomed.
