Israel’s prison authorities have begun preparations for executing Palestinians under a proposed law condemned by Amnesty International and UN experts.
The preparations include the construction of a “green mile” facility to carry out the hangings, with groups of three volunteer executioners simultaneously pressing a trigger, Israel’s Channel 13 reported.
Two prison rights groups described the death penalty bill as an “unprecedented act of savagery”.
Meanwhile, eight UN experts last week called on Israel to withdraw the bill, which mandates executions within 90 days of a guilty verdict.
The bill, which must pass two more readings in the Israeli Knesset to become law, introduces two tracks for the death penalty.
In the illegally occupied West Bank, Israeli military courts would impose the death penalty for “terrorist” acts that cause someone’s death, even if it was unintentional; while in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, the death penalty would apply under Israeli criminal law, and only for the “intentional killing of Israeli citizens or residents”.
Only Palestinians will be executed, while Israelis convicted of similar offences will face prison sentences.
If passed, the Israeli government intends first to target the law at the elite Hamas military unit that conducted the 7 October 2023 attacks.
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