Israel has passed a new law to impose the death penalty and hold public trials for those involved in the Hamas-led attacks and mass hostage-taking in Israel in October 2023.
The legislation was approved by 93 votes in favor and 0 against in Israel's parliament, the Knesset. The remaining 27 lawmakers were absent or abstained.
"Let everyone see how the victims and their families look into the whites of the eyes of those murderers, rapists and kidnappers," Yulia Malinovsky, a co-sponsor of the bill, said at a press conference.
"Let everyone see how the State of Israel is a sovereign state that knows how to hold accountable those who harmed it," said the opposition politician.
"We have reached the finish line, which is actually the starting line: the beginning of historic trials, which the whole world will see."
Israeli human rights groups have spoken out against the new law, opposing the principle of the death penalty but also warning against "show trials" based on confessions allegedly extracted under torture.
October 7, 2023 was the deadliest day in Israeli history. Hamas-led militants killed over 1,200 people in southern Israel, mostly civilians. Another 251 were kidnapped and held captive in the Gaza Strip, including men, women, children and foreign nationals.
