Statement by the Palestinian NGOs Network On the Approval of the “Death Penalty Law”

The Palestinian NGOs Network in the 48 areas views with grave concern and alarm the approval by Israel’s Knesset of the Penal Law amendment (“Death Penalty for Terrorists”), referred to as the “execution law for Palestinian prisoners.” The Network considers this legislation a legalised war crime added to the long record of violations by the occupation, and a clear declaration of a shift toward what can only be described as “absolute fascism,” targeting Palestinian existence through all possible means.

In light of this dangerous escalation, the Palestinian NGOs Network affirms the following:

A legal framework for extrajudicial killing:
This law is not merely a legal measure; it provides political and judicial cover for systematic executions and field killings, constituting a grave violation of the right to life as guaranteed by all international laws and conventions.

Violation of international law:
This legislation strikes at the core of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibit an occupying power from imposing the death penalty or altering laws in occupied territories to serve its repressive objectives.

An apartheid regime:
The selective application of this law targeting Palestinians alone confirms the existence of a fully institutionalised apartheid system that discriminates on the basis of ethnicity and nationality, using “law” as a tool of repression and intimidation.

Call to the international community:
The continued international silence in the face of such fascist legislation has emboldened the extremist Israeli government to escalate its crimes. Accordingly, the Palestinian NGOs Network calls for:

• Immediate and direct action: We call on the United Nations and international institutions to move beyond mere condemnation toward concrete action and accountability to halt this unprecedented escalation.

• Collective response: We urge the international community and human rights organisations worldwide to exert real pressure to isolate this fascistic government and pursue accountability in international forums, particularly the International Criminal Court, ensuring justice for war crimes committed.

• Domestic mobilisation: We also call upon all political parties, national forces, and active civil, human rights, and humanitarian organisations within the state to confront and work toward repealing this law.

• Breaking the silence barrier: Silence in the face of this legislation constitutes complicity and grants the occupation a green light to continue the political, physical, and legal destruction of the Palestinian people.

We commend international organisations that have already condemned the enactment of this law and call on them to take concrete steps to prevent its implementation.

In conclusion, the Palestinian NGOs Network reaffirms its commitment to Palestinian national rights and will continue its legal and human rights advocacy to expose this occupation until freedom and justice are achieved.

Palestinian NGOs Network
31 March 2026