Israel Creates Special Tribunal With Death Penalty For Oct. 7 Attackers
On Monday, May 11, 2026, the Knesset unanimously passed a bill creating a special tribunal that can impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of taking part in the Oct. 7, 2023 assault.[1]
The bill passed 93-0 and allows death sentences to be imposed by a majority vote of the tribunal's judges.[1] Trials will be livestreamed from a Jerusalem courtroom, and appeals must go to a special appeals court instead of Israel's regular appeals courts.[1] Israeli rights groups warned the law erodes fair-trial guarantees and flagged concerns about relying on evidence obtained under harsh interrogation.[1]
In March 2026, the Knesset passed a separate capital-punishment statute that applies only to future murder cases and does not retroactively cover suspects in the Oct. 7 assault.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, May 11, 2026, the Knesset passed a bill 93-0 creating a special tribunal for Oct. 7, 2023 attackers.
- The tribunal can impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of participating in the Hamas-led assault, with decisions by majority vote of its judges.
- Trials will be livestreamed from a Jerusalem courtroom, and appeals must go to a special appeals court rather than regular appeals courts.
- Israeli rights groups warn the law erodes fair-trial guarantees and highlight concerns about evidence obtained under harsh interrogation.
- The law is distinct from a March 2026 capital-punishment statute that applies only to future murder cases and not retroactively to Oct. 7 suspects.
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