Hamas condemns Israeli bill to execute Palestinian prisoners as a “war crime”

The Palestinian movement, Hamas on Monday condemned the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary approval of a bill allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, calling it a “serious war crime” and an escalation of what it described as Israel’s long-standing policy of extrajudicial killings.

In a statement carried by Quds Press, Hamas said the legislation “comes within the context of escalating Zionist fascism and official terrorism against prisoners” and represents an attempt to “legitimize execution through official legislation” to conceal ongoing abuses such as torture and medical neglect inside Israeli prisons.

The group warned that the bill “constitutes a dangerous precedent and a direct threat to the lives of thousands of prisoners,” urging the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take urgent action to block the measure and investigate conditions in Israeli detention centers.

Hamas also called for international commissions of inquiry to examine “crimes of torture and rape,” particularly referencing allegations at the Sde Teiman detention facility in southern Israel.

Earlier Monday, the Knesset’s National Security Committee approved the draft law imposing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners, referring it to the Knesset plenum for a first reading — a move unprecedented in Israel’s legislative history regarding such measures.

Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed public support for the bill, with Channel 12 indicating that the first reading is expected to take place next Wednesday.