Today in Focus
Today in Focus
The Guardian
Israel passes law to give death penalty to Palestinians – The Latest
12 minutes Posted Mar 31, 2026 at 5:49 pm.
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Israel’s parliament has passed a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks - a measure sharply criticised as discriminatory by European countries and human rights groups. After the law passed, the Knesset erupted into cheers and the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, brandished a bottle of champagne in celebration. The law has been decried as ‘an act of institutionalised discrimination and racist violence against Palestinians’ by Israel’s leading rights group. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, Devika Bhat – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/infocus">theguardian.com/infocus</a>