Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has passed a bill authorizing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks while imprisoned in Israeli facilities. The vote took place on Monday evening, marking the potential return of capital punishment in Israel after more than six decades.

Human rights organizations and Palestinian leaders have strongly condemned the law, calling it discriminatory and a violation of international law. The UN Human Rights Office urged Israel to immediately revoke the legislation, warning that its implementation would breach international prohibitions against cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment. The office also said the law deepens racial discrimination and undermines global norms against state-sanctioned inequality.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described the law as a dangerous escalation and evidence of Israel’s colonial system that legitimizes extrajudicial killings. Hamas called it a dangerous precedent threatening Palestinian prisoners’ lives. Amnesty International, the Council of Europe, Ireland, and Italy also joined in condemning the move.