• Israel's parliament enacts a law to impose the death penalty on Palestinians for deadly attacks.
• The legislation faces severe criticism for being discriminatory, applying primarily to Palestinians.
• Opponents, including human rights organizations, vow to challenge the law in Israel's Supreme Court.
• Protests erupt across Palestinian territories in response to the new law.
• The measure is viewed as a significant escalation in Israeli penal policy against Palestinians.

On March 30, Israel’s Knesset passed a controversial law instituting the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks, with the final vote tally recorded at 62 in favor and 48 opposed. The legislation allows military courts to generally impose the death penalty by hanging for those found guilty of murder, while Israeli citizens can still receive life imprisonment for similar offenses, creating what critics describe as a discriminatory legal framework that targets Palestinians exclusively, according to SCMP and AA.

The law has sparked outrage from Palestinian authorities and human rights groups, who consider it a violation of international humanitarian standards. The Palestinian Authority referred to the law as a “war crime” that escalates violence against Palestinians and undermines any potential for peace, according to AA and India Times.

Protests erupted in various Palestinian territories following the law's approval, with demonstrators expressing fear that the legislation could lead to executions without proper judicial process. The Fatah political party has called for a general strike in response, asserting that the law endangers Palestinian lives, as reported by LA Times and Africa News.

The Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been forceful in pushing this law, citing it as an essential measure against terrorism, which many international observers interpret as reinforcing systemic discrimination. Rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have highlighted how the law entrenches existing biases in the Israeli judicial system, which often treats Palestinians far more harshly than Jewish citizens, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

As anticipated, legal challenges to the law are underway, with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel filing petitions to the Supreme Court arguing against its constitutionality and potential violation of international treaties. Legal experts have expressed skepticism regarding the law's ability to withstand judicial scrutiny given its explicit discriminatory nature, according to AA and NPR.