The controversial legislation was passed by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in its second and third readings by a vote of 93 members, granting courts the authority to impose execution sentences on Palestinians accused of serious offenses, including involvement in the October 7, 2023 resistance operation.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Hamas said the law reflects what it described as “fascist and racist legislation” that will not break the determination of the Palestinian people or deter their struggle for national liberation.

The movement said the legislation amounts to “another crime added to the occupation’s long record of war crimes and systematic violations” against Palestinians.

Hamas stressed that the law is “null and illegitimate,” arguing that it violates international legal standards, including the Geneva Conventions and broader international humanitarian law protections for prisoners of war and detainees.

According to the group, the legislation grants Israeli military courts expanded powers, allows the bypassing of normal legal procedures, and opens the door to executions under what it described as politically motivated and discriminatory conditions.

“The law exposes the revenge-driven and racist nature of the occupation’s legal system,” Hamas said.

The movement also warned that the new legislation appears designed to undermine future prisoner exchange agreements, as it reportedly excludes Palestinians accused of involvement in the October 7 operation from any potential release deals.

Hamas called on the international community, including the International Criminal Court, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and other rights bodies to urgently intervene and stop what it described as “criminal legislation” targeting Palestinian prisoners.

The new law comes amid ongoing Israeli detention operations across the occupied Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip.

According to Palestinian prisoner advocacy organizations, including the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, and Addameer, the number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons has exceeded 9,400 as of early May 2026.

Among them are more than 1,200 detainees classified by Israeli authorities as “unlawful combatants,” many of whom are being held without trial or formal charges.

The legislation follows another law passed earlier in March that allows executions of Palestinian prisoners by hanging inside Israeli prisons, a move widely condemned by human rights organizations as unprecedented and incompatible with international law.

Palestinian rights groups and legal experts argue that the expanding framework signals a shift toward institutionalized executions and mass punitive measures against Palestinian detainees.

The developments have intensified global concern over the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, particularly as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, which have devastated civilian infrastructure and resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths since October 2023.

Human rights advocates warn that the latest legislation could further escalate tensions and deepen what they describe as a systematic effort to criminalize Palestinian resistance while denying detainees basic legal protections guaranteed under international law.

Hamas and other Palestinian voices maintain that despite the escalating measures, Palestinian resistance and demands for freedom will continue, regardless of what they describe as increasingly harsh and punitive Israeli policies. (ILKHA)