A controversial bill introduced in Israel’s Knesset would allow the execution of Pales-tinian prisoners by hanging, contradicting earlier official statements that lethal injection would be used. Israeli media reported on Tuesday that the legislation authorises the Israel Prison Service commissioner to appoint a special officer to carry out executions. The bill, led by far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has reached its second and third readings after passing an initial vote on November 11, with 39 lawmakers in favour and 16 against.

According to Haaretz, executions would be overseen by the prison warden, a judicial representative, and a member of the prisoner’s family, but could proceed even if some are absent to avoid delays. The bill bars any commutation, appeal, or cancellation once a death sentence is issued and grants full criminal immunity to officials involved in enforcing executions. Trials would take place before military judges, executions would be carried out within 90 days of a final ruling, and death sentences could be imposed without a request from the attorney general. Prisoners sentenced to death would be held in complete isolation, with execution details published online while the identities of those carrying out the sentence remain confidential.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war, violations against Pales-tinian detainees have sharply escalated, including starvation, torture, sexual violence, and denial of medical care. Pales-tinian prisoner advocacy groups have described the situation as a “systematic genocide” in Israeli detention, noting that the past two years have seen an unprecedented level of brutality, with prisoner deaths matching those recorded over the previous 24 years. Around 60 percent of Pales-tinian detainees suffer from chronic illnesses, and many have died during imprisonment or shortly after release. Israel’s war on Ga-za since October 2023 has killed more than 71,400 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,300 others.