Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced today, Sunday, that the Commander of the Central Command in the Israeli army signed a new amendment allowing the application of the death penalty law to West Bank prisoners, in a step described as escalatory and unprecedented.
Katz said that the amendment came “based on his directives,” adding: “I instructed the army to work to implement the death penalty law, and those who kill Jews will not remain in prisons in comfortable conditions.”
The Israeli Defense Minister confirmed that the Central Command Commander’s signing of the amendment means “transforming the new policy into a tangible reality,” according to what was reported by Israeli media.
This decision is considered one of the most controversial Israeli steps in the issue of Palestinian prisoners, as it opens the door to the implementation of death sentences against detainees from the West Bank accused of carrying out operations against Israelis.
This step comes in light of the escalation of security tension and confrontations in the West Bank, coinciding with the ongoing war in Gaza and the escalation on the Lebanese front.
The Israeli government, especially the extreme right-wing parties, has pushed over the past years to tighten penalties on Palestinian prisoners, including demanding the approval and implementation of the death penalty against those who carried out operations.
On the other hand, these trends face widespread human rights and international criticism, amid warnings of their repercussions on the security and humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territories.
The decision is also expected to raise a wave of Palestinian and international reactions, especially in light of the legal controversy related to the possibility of applying the death penalty in the occupied territories, and the possible additional escalation it may entail in the region.
