The Israeli parliament's National Security Committee approved a bill late Tuesday, marking a step toward legalizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners.
The bill is expected to be presented next week to the Knesset General Assembly for a vote on the second and third readings, which constitute the final stages of becoming enforceable law.
The committee made several amendments to the bill, which passed the first vote, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported, adding that the executions will be carried out by hanging.
Death row inmates will be placed in a special detention center, with no visits allowed except by authorized personnel, while consultations with lawyers will only be allowed via video.
Execution must be carried out within 90 days of the decision being made.
The draft law provides that the death penalty can be imposed even without a request from the prosecution, that unanimity will not be required for such a decision and that the decision will be made by simple majority.
Military courts dealing with Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank will also be able to impose the death penalty, while the defense minister will have the right to give an opinion before the judicial panel.
In the case of Palestinians under Israeli occupation who are sentenced to death, the bill specifies that avenues for pardon or appeal will be closed.
For prisoners being tried in Israel, the death penalty can be replaced with life imprisonment.
The bill was welcomed by the far-right Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who called it "a historic day."
Israel has significantly escalated violations against Palestinian prisoners since the start of the war in October 2023, particularly those from Gaza, including starvation, torture, sexual violence and systematic denial of medical care, according to human rights groups.
