Israel expands death penalty regime in the occupied West Bank

Israel expands death penalty regime in the occupied West Bank Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Sun, 05/17/2026 - 22:53 Law mandates death penalty in military courts while excluding Israelis from prosecution under the same system Protesters hold placards reading 'Urgent and final appeal: Stop the execution of prisoners law before it’s too late' in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, 31 March 2026 (Zain Jaafar/AFP) Off Israel has enforced a new law mandating the death penalty for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, after the commander of its Central Command Major General Avi Bluth signed the military order required to activate the measure on Sunday. The order compels military courts to impose capital punishment in cases where a Palestinian is convicted of killing an Israeli occupation soldier or otherwise. Judges may only consider life imprisonment if they identify exceptional circumstances, making execution the default outcome.