Council of Europe voices concern over Israel's death penalty law for Palestinians

ISTANBUL

The Council of Europe expressed concern on Monday over Israeli legislation imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners.

"The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, has expressed his deep concern after the adoption, on 30 March 2026, by the Knesset, of a law expanding the use of the death penalty in Israel," a written statement said.

It recalled that the adoption of the law comes "despite repeated calls to the Israeli authorities, notably by the Council of Europe, to renounce it."

"The entry into force of this law would mark a further distancing of Israel from the framework of values with which it has historically chosen to associate itself," the statement noted.

It further described the decision as a "serious regression."

"The death penalty is a legal anachronism incompatible with contemporary human-rights standards. Moreover, any application of the death penalty that could be characterized as discriminatory is unacceptable in a state governed by the rule of law," the Council of Europe further underscored.

The death penalty is "incompatible" with fundamental rights and with respect for human dignity, the statement stressed, reiterating the council's opposition "in all places and under all circumstances."

"The Council of Europe will closely monitor upcoming developments regarding this law. It will examine its implications for the Council of Europe conventions to which Israel is a party, as well as for the cooperation mechanisms in which this state participates," it added.

Earlier Monday, Israel’s Knesset passed the law, making the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of carrying out lethal attacks against Israelis.

More than 9,300 Palestinians, including 350 children and 66 women, are currently imprisoned in Israeli jails, data from prisoners' rights organizations and the Israeli Prison Service show.

According to Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations, they suffer from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, which have led to the deaths of dozens.

Since October 2023, Israel has escalated its measures against Palestinian prisoners, coinciding with its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip with US support, which resulted in the killing of more than 72,000 people and the injury of 172,000 others.