Israel extends death penalty law to Palestinians in West Bank

Israel’s Central Command chief, Major General Avi Bluth, has signed an order extending the application of Israel’s death penalty law to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The move follows internal discussions in which legal and security officials warned against applying civilian legislation passed by the Knesset in territory where most residents are not Israeli citizens.

The law targets those accused of acts carried out “with the aim of denying the existence of the State of Israel”. In practice, its application in the West Bank is expected to affect Palestinians only.