Eight Muslim-majority countries condemned Israel's new death penalty law targeting Palestinians convicted in military courts, calling it a dangerous escalation that threatens regional stability.
The legislation, passed by Israel's Knesset on Monday, makes death by hanging the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks classified as terrorism in military courts. Because Palestinians in the West Bank are automatically tried in Israeli military courts rather than civilian courts, the law creates a separate legal track with harsher penalties.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry released a joint statement from foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates denouncing the measure.
The ministers underscored that this legislation constitutes a dangerous escalation, particularly given its discriminatory application against Palestinian prisoners, and stressed that such measures risk further exacerbating tensions and undermining regional stability
Joint statement — Pakistan Foreign Ministry
The law applies to Israelis convicted of murder whose attacks aim to end Israel's existence. Critics argue this effectively targets Palestinians while exempting Jewish Israelis who commit similar crimes, creating unequal justice under Israeli law.
Dawn frames the law as discriminatory apartheid policy that creates unequal justice systems. The outlet emphasizes the joint Muslim nation response and broader patterns of violations against Palestinians.