Israel’s new death penalty law. Which allows for the execution of Palestinian detainees within 90 days, has sparked international outrage and renewed fears about the systematic erosion of Palestinian rights. According to Al Jazeera. The law is the latest step in a strategy that has already seen at least 87 Palestinian detainees killed in what human rights organizations describe as a ‘network of torture camps’ since 2022, the highest number recorded since 1967.

The Legalization of Impunity

According to Al Jazeera, the timing of the law is particularly alarming. It comes less than a month after Israel dropped all charges against soldiers accused of mass raping Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman, a notorious detention center. This, says the report, legalizes a pattern of impunity, where one population is protected from accountability for sexual violence while another is now subject to execution.

The law has been passed amid a surge in Israeli military operations in the West Bank, as In the last month alone, more than 7,300 violations were recorded, including killings, raids, arrests, property destruction, and restrictions on movement. According to Al Jazeera. The law is not merely about the death penalty itself, but the broader context of Israeli actions in the occupied territories.

EU Silence Amid Condemnation

According to Al Jazeera. Preparations for the law’s implementation have already begun, including the construction of a new prison wing for executions and the ordering of new ‘red’ uniforms for Palestinian prisoners. Despite this, the European Union has offered only vague condemnations, with its spokesperson calling the law ‘deeply concerning’ while praising Israel’s ‘principled position’ and ‘commitment to democratic principles.’

On March 30, just before the final vote on the bill, European countries such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement expressing ‘deep concern’ but did not warn of concrete consequences. According to Al Jazeera, the EU’s response is seen as disgraceful, especially given the clear human rights clauses in its Association Agreement with Israel.

Historical Context and Growing Isolation

In an interview with etos.media, Israeli historian Ilan Pappé warned that the West is witnessing the beginning of the end of the Zionist project. He described the situation in Gaza as a genocide and criticized Western governments for their moral collapse in the face of Israel’s ongoing occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands.

Pappé emphasized the systematic erasure of Palestinians, both those who fled during the Nakba in 1948 and those who remain in Israel today. He called for the international community to confront the apartheid nature of the Israeli state and to stop enabling its continued expansion through silence and complicity.

The death penalty law, according to Al Jazeera, is not only a legal measure but a message to Palestinians: that they are subject to a system where their lives are not valued. With 96 percent of Palestinian detainees being convicted in military courts, often based on confessions extracted through torture, the law institutionalizes a practice that has been in motion for decades.

In late 2023, the entire population of Khirbet Zanuta in the southern West Bank was forced to flee due to relentless settler attacks, illustrating the broader pattern of displacement and violence that has accompanied Israel’s policies. With the new law, the fear is that this violence will now be codified and legitimized through legal means.

As the EU and other international actors continue to look away, the voices of human rights organizations and Palestinian activists grow louder, warning that the world must not wait until executions begin to act. The time for accountability is now.