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The Israeli parliament’s National Security Committee convened on Wednesday to deliberate a contentious bill proposing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism, with lethal injection as the designated method. The legislation, spearheaded by MK Limor Son Har Melech of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, successfully passed its first reading last week and is now advancing toward its second and third readings, the final steps before becoming law. Committee Chair MK Tzvika Foghel, also from Otzma Yehudit, outlined the guiding principles of the bill earlier this week, emphasizing its alignment with what he described as the Israeli public’s demand for justice following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. Foghel argued that the death penalty would eliminate the possibility of future prisoner exchanges, which he claimed endanger Jewish lives. The bill mandates death sentences for individuals convicted of murdering Jews solely based on their ethnicity, including planners and dispatchers of such acts. It further stipulates that executions must occur within 90 days of sentencing, with no avenues for appeal, commutation, or pardon. The proposal has sparked intense debate in parliament, with heated exchanges between Otzma Yehudit lawmakers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and left-wing MPs who were forcibly removed from the session. Critics, including MP Gilad Kariv of the center-left Democrats party, condemned the bill as racist and driven by vengeance, arguing that it disproportionately targets Palestinians. The Public Defense’s Office at the Ministry of Justice also criticized the bill, citing global evidence that the death penalty lacks deterrent effects. Despite opposition, the bill garnered support from coalition parties and the right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beiteinu, while centrist parties abstained from voting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly endorsed the death penalty, aligning with the bill’s assertion that imprisonment is insufficient to deter terrorism. If enacted, the law would mark a significant shift in Israeli policy, as the country has not carried out an execution since 1962. Human rights organizations, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, have vehemently opposed the bill, arguing that it violates fundamental human rights principles and disproportionately targets Palestinians. The debate unfolds amid reports of rising Palestinian detainee deaths in Israeli custody, further intensifying scrutiny of the proposed legislation.

A recent UN Security Council resolution endorsing former US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza has been criticized as a breach of fundamental international law principles, rendering it legally invalid, according to a prominent international law expert. The resolution, approved on Monday, supports the establishment of an international stabilization force and grants Trump supreme control over Gaza, with a ‘board of peace’ overseeing the plan’s implementation for two years. Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s involvement has also drawn significant attention. Ralph Wilde, a leading international law scholar and practitioner, argued that the resolution attempts to impose a ‘trusteeship’ over Gaza, a colonial arrangement that undermines Palestinians’ right to self-determination. Wilde, a professor at UCL and author of an award-winning book on international trusteeship, expressed dismay that his work is being used as a ‘manual’ for this trusteeship. He emphasized that trusteeship, historically used to justify colonial rule, contradicts the post-World War Two adoption of self-determination as a fundamental right in international law. Wilde further argued that replacing one form of trusteeship with another does not constitute self-determination and remains illegal. He noted that even if Palestinian representatives accept the plan, it would still be unlawful, akin to the Oslo Accords’ legitimization of certain aspects of Israel’s occupation. Wilde also highlighted that the UN Security Council’s authority is limited by the principles of justice and international law, and the resolution’s authorization of trusteeship is void as it violates these principles. The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor and abstentions from China and Russia.

During a high-profile visit to the White House, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman faced intense scrutiny over the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The visit, marked by ceremonial pomp including cannon fire and a U.S. Air Force fly-past, was overshadowed by the unresolved controversy surrounding Khashoggi’s brutal murder. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, came to the defense of the crown prince during a joint press conference, dismissing the issue with a casual remark: “Things happen.”

Khashoggi, a former Middle East Eye journalist, was lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and killed by Saudi agents in an operation that U.S. intelligence believes was approved by the crown prince. When questioned about the incident, Trump downplayed its significance, stating, “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” and asserting that the crown prince had no knowledge of the event. The crown prince himself described Khashoggi’s death as “painful” and claimed that Saudi Arabia had taken steps to prevent such incidents in the future.

The Biden administration, in a 2021 report, concluded that the crown prince had approved the order to “capture or kill” Khashoggi, a claim vehemently denied by Saudi officials. Middle East Eye had previously reported that seven of the 15 suspects involved in the operation were part of the crown prince’s personal security detail. The assassination, which took just seven minutes, involved horrific details, including Khashoggi being dragged, injected with a substance, and dismembered.

In 2019, a Saudi court sentenced five individuals to death and three others to prison for their roles in the killing, though the trial was widely criticized as a sham. Reports in 2021 revealed that some of the convicted individuals were living in luxury at a government-run security compound in Riyadh, rather than serving time in prison. The killing strained relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, though ties were eventually repaired in 2022. Ankara later transferred its own Khashoggi trial to Saudi Arabia, involving 26 suspects.

The Khashoggi case has also shed light on the existence of the “Tiger Squad,” a covert unit allegedly established by the crown prince to target Saudi dissidents both domestically and abroad. Despite the international outcry, the Saudi government has maintained its stance, and the crown prince continues to enjoy diplomatic support from key allies, including the United States.