Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, passed a law on Monday approving the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of killing Israelis. The legislation, championed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, passed by 62 votes to 48. Ben-Gvir celebrated the outcome and dismissed international pressure to withdraw the bill, calling it a historic moment. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has filed an appeal against the law with Israel’s Supreme Court.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the measure as a “dangerous escalation,” asserting that Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian land. Hamas and other Palestinian groups condemned the law as discriminatory and a violation of international law, urging the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene. The UN Human Rights Office in Palestine and Amnesty International both said the law breaches international human rights standards, while the Council of Europe called it a “serious regression.”

European governments including Italy, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom had urged Israel to withdraw the bill, citing commitments to a global moratorium on the death penalty.