politics
Israel Knesset Passes Law for Death Penalty and Public Trials for October 7 Attackers
Israel's Knesset approved legislation to create a special military tribunal that can impose the death penalty on those linked to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. The measure, passed unanimously by those present, also mandates public trials with filmed proceedings.
May 12, 9:05 AM·2m read4 sources
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Israel's parliament passed legislation on Monday permitting the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of direct involvement in the October 7, 2023 attacks. The bill was approved by a vote of 93-0 in the Knesset, with remaining lawmakers absent or abstaining.
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It was jointly sponsored by government and opposition politicians. The law establishes a special military court in Jerusalem to try captured fighters, primarily from Hamas's Nukhba unit, on charges including terrorism, murder, sexual violence and genocide.
Key portions of the hearings — openings, verdicts and sentencings — will be filmed and broadcast on a dedicated website. Proponents described the proceedings as historic and comparable in significance to the 1962 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann.
An independent Israeli commission released a 280-page report on Tuesday documenting what it described as deliberate and systematic sexual and gender-based violence by Hamas and its allies during the October 7, 2023 attacks and against hostages taken to Gaza.
The commission drew on testimony from more than 400 witnesses and experts, as well as over 10,000 photos and videos. It concluded that recurring tactics of sexual abuse and torture were employed, often with extreme cruelty intended to amplify terror and humiliation.
The report examined events site by site across southern Israel and gathered information on the treatment of both female and male hostages up to their release following a ceasefire in October 2025. The findings represent the most comprehensive account to date of sexual violence during the attacks that killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
The legislation adjusts some rules of evidence and procedure to manage the scale of the anticipated proceedings. Israel's Prison Service holds 1,283 people as unlawful combatants, the vast majority from Gaza. A smaller group faces criminal charges linked to the attacks.
