General Secretariat statement condemning Israeli Knesset’s approval of law on executing Palestinian prisoners

League of Arab States

Date: 31/03/2026

The League of Arab States (Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector) issued a statement strongly condemning the Israeli Knesset’s approval, on 30 March, of a law permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners. It calls upon the international community, the United Nations, the Security Council, and the International Criminal Court to take immediate and decisive action to annul this unlawful legislation, hold the leaders of the occupation accountable for their crimes, and ensure international protection for Palestinian prisoners.

This racist and brutal law, which clearly and discriminatorily targets Palestinian prisoners to the exclusion of others, and imposes the death penalty by hanging within 90 days without the right of appeal or pardon, is not merely a domestic measure, but constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity in every sense of the term. It amounts to an open declaration of war against the Palestinian people and a flagrant and egregious violation of all international conventions and humanitarian norms.

This draconian legislation represents a desperate attempt to break the will of the steadfast Palestinian people and to intimidate those held in the prisons of the occupation. It primarily targets all those who resist in defence of their dignity and their land. The League warns that any attempt to implement this criminal law will have grave consequences for the region and will not pass without a forceful response.

It further reflects the true nature of the Israeli occupation, which is mired in systematic state terrorism, and underscores that the occupying authority has come to operate as an entity acting outside the bounds of the law—one that is not content with daily killings, torture, and deliberate medical neglect, but now seeks to legalise the execution of those who resist the occupation of their land and demand their freedom.

The sacrifices of martyrs and prisoners will remain a driving force until the liberation of the land and holy sites, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.