HAMILTON, Canada

Canada on Tuesday strongly denounced a new Israeli law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians, calling it "discriminatory" and "dehumanizing."

"Canada joins its partners in expressing concern about the death penalty law passed by the Israeli Knesset that, in practice, systematically targets Palestinians," said Global Affairs Canada in a post on the US social media company X.

It noted: "This discriminatory law adds to a growing list of actions which enables illegal settler violence while dehumanizing the Palestinian people," adding that Canada "unequivocally opposes its application."

Canada "unequivocally opposes its application," reaffirming its "commitment to human rights and the global movement to abolish the death penalty," it added.

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

More than 9,300 Palestinians, including 350 children and 66 women, are currently held in Israeli prisons, according to prisoner rights groups and the Israeli Prison Service.

Reports indicate prisoners suffer from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, leading to dozens of deaths.

Since October 2023, Israel has intensified measures against Palestinian prisoners amid its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 72,000 people and injured 172,000, according to local authorities.