Israeli lawmakers are moving forward with a controversial bill that could allow Palestinians detained over the October 7, 2023 attacks to face execution and specially televised military trials, according to a report by Al Jazeera Media Network.
The proposed legislation, now nearing final approval in the Israeli Knesset, would establish a special military tribunal in Jerusalem to prosecute Palestinians accused of involvement in the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel.
Under the bill, judges would reportedly have broader powers to admit evidence obtained under coercive interrogation methods and issue death sentences against convicted defendants. Human rights advocates and legal experts have raised concerns that the framework weakens international fair trial standards and could permit the use of torture-tainted evidence.
The legislation has received support from members of both the governing coalition and opposition parties, including lawmakers from the Religious Zionism Party and Yisrael Beytenu. Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin is among its leading supporters.
Rights groups argue the proposed courts could amount to “show trials” because parts of the proceedings, including verdicts and sentencing, would be publicly broadcast online. Critics say such measures undermine the presumption of innocence and could politicize judicial proceedings.
The bill also follows recent Israeli efforts to expand the use of the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of attacks against Israelis. International organizations and rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have criticized the legislation as discriminatory.
According to the report, supporters of the proposal argue the measures are necessary to address crimes committed during the October 7 attacks, which Israeli authorities say killed more than 1,100 people and resulted in the capture of about 240 hostages.
Legal experts, however, warn that imposing capital punishment without strict fair trial guarantees would violate international law and could amount to arbitrary deprivation of life under global human rights conventions.
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