A spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed on Monday evening that Benjamin Netanyahu supports imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners following what she described as a “fair trial”.
The statement was reported by foreign media outlets and cited by Israeli sources.
This announcement came after the Knesset’s National Security Committee earlier in the day approved a draft bill requiring the death penalty for anyone convicted of killing an Israeli on nationalistic or hostile grounds. The bill is expected to be brought for its first reading in the Knesset on Wednesday.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, Netanyahu has given the green light for the legislation to proceed. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is sponsoring the bill, said that “the time has come to achieve justice,” stressing that the death penalty must be mandatory and that courts should have no discretion in such cases.
The Hamas movement condemned the committee’s approval of the bill, calling it a serious escalation and a blatant violation of international laws and conventions.
In a statement, Hamas said the committee’s endorsement and the move to bring the bill to a Knesset vote “reflect Israel’s true face” and demonstrate its continued disregard for international humanitarian law and the Third Geneva Convention, which governs the treatment of prisoners of war.