TEL AVIV, May 17, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli 'Defense' Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced the start of procedures to implement the death penalty law against Palestinians accused of carrying out killing operations, following the signing of an amendment to a special military order for the occupied West Bank by the commander of the Israeli occupation army's Central Command, Avi Bluth.
The move indicates that approval of the law by the Knesset alone was not sufficient for its application in the occupied West Bank, as the West Bank is not directly subject to Israeli civil law in such cases, but rather to a system of military orders and military courts. Therefore, the occupation authorities amended the “Security Instructions Order” to allow the penalty to be applied within the military courts operating in the occupied West Bank.
The amendment came under instructions from Katz, following the Knesset’s approval last month of the law initiated by Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party.
According to a joint statement issued by Katz and Ben-Gvir, the law targets those Israel describes as “saboteurs” who carry out killing operations against Israelis, in wording that reflects the political and national character of the move.
Katz said that the era of containment is over, adding that anyone who kills Israelis will not wait for exchange deals and will not dream of being released, as he said. Ben-Gvir said that the government promised and delivered, considering that anyone who carries out a killing operation against Israelis must know that their end will be the death penalty, not a release deal.
The move carries broader implications beyond a mere legal amendment, as it transfers a law approved by the Knesset into implementation in the occupied West Bank through military orders, and grants military courts the authority to impose the death penalty in security-related cases. It also opens the door to wide legal and human rights criticism, particularly given that the vast majority of Palestinian residents are tried before Israeli military courts rather than a civilian judicial system.
The Israeli Knesset approved the law in its second and third readings on March 30.
T.R.
