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Israel's new death penalty law for Palestinians

DW reporters
March 30, 2026

The Israeli parliament has significantly expanded the death penalty to include West Bank Palestinians convicted of terrorism. The law has drawn widespread condemnation and will be challenged in Israel's supreme court.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir holds up a bottle of champagne in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, after lawmakers passed a controversial death penalty law on March 30.
Image: Oren Ben Hakoon/REUTERS

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed a controversial death penalty law on Monday. Here is where you can find the latest news and reactions to the legislation.

The new law reestablishes the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism. It also serves the political ambitions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a West Bank settler who wore a golden noose-shaped lapel pin as part of a populist campaign to get the measure passed. DW correspondent Tania Krämer provides an in-depth look at the death penalty law.

The legislation also puts Israel at odds with the general trend toward abolishing the death penalty. Here is a look at which countries still have capital punishment.

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