Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey and Indonesia have condemned Israel’s approval of a law authorising the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners in the occupied West Bank.
In a joint statement on Thursday, April 2, the ministers described the move by the Israeli Knesset as a “dangerous escalation”, warning that it entrenches an apartheid-like system and promotes rhetoric denying the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied territory.
They stressed that the legislation, particularly its discriminatory application against Palestinian detainees, risks fuelling tensions and undermining regional stability.
The ministers also expressed grave concern over the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, citing credible reports of torture, starvation, medical neglect, and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. They said these violations reflect a broader pattern of abuses against Palestinians.
Reiterating their rejection of policies based on racial discrimination, oppression and aggression, the ministers urged Israel to refrain from implementing such measures and called for increased international efforts to ensure accountability and prevent further deterioration.
The law was approved by the Israeli Knesset on March 30 in its second and third readings, with 62 members voting in favour and 47 against, making it effective immediately.
The bill was introduced by the far-right Jewish Power party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
More than 9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 73 women, where they face torture, starvation and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups, with dozens reported dead.
Since October 2023, Israel has intensified measures against detainees alongside its ongoing war on Gaza, which has left more than 72,000 people dead and 172,000 injured, most of them women and children.
