Eight Muslim countries are strongly criticizing a newly proposed law by Israel.
Israel has recently passed a death penalty bill for Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks, and Muslim-majority countries have strongly condemned it.
As reported, the countries issued a joint statement that condemned the Israeli occupying power’s enactment of a law in its parliament, the Knesset, that allows the imposition of the death penalty in the occupied West Bank and its de facto application against Palestinians.
The foreign ministers of the opposition countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, were part of the latest briefing.
They warned against the increasingly discriminatory, escalating Israeli practices of 'entrenchment of apartheid' and a rejectionist discourse that denies the inalienable rights and the very existence of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The legislation constituted a dangerous escalation, particularly given its discriminatory application against Palestinian prisoners, and stressed that such measures risk further exacerbating tensions and undermining regional stability.
Condition of prisoners:
The focal ministers also expressed deep concern over the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, warning of mounting risks amid credible reports of ongoing abuses, including torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, starvation, and the denial of basic rights.
They said that these practices reflect a broader pattern of violations against the Palestinian people.
They reaffirmed their opposition to Israel’s racially discriminatory, oppressive, and aggressive policies targeting Palestinians.
The ministers further emphasized the urgent need to refrain from measures imposed by the occupying power that risk further inflaming tensions on the ground.
They stressed the importance of ensuring accountability and called for strengthened international efforts to uphold stability and prevent further deterioration.
The 'Law':
Israel adopted a new law late Monday making the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks.
The law would also apply to Israeli citizens, but by defining the lethal attacks in question as those "negating Israel's existence," it would be very unlikely that it would be used against Jewish Israelis, critics say.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank voiced fears on Tuesday that their jailed relatives could be hanged without due process.
The law is expected to be struck down by Israel's Supreme Court following an appeal by rights groups, as it has elements in breach of an international convention, Israeli legal experts said, adding it is unlikely that any executions will actually be carried out.
The legislation has drawn international criticism of Israel, which is already under scrutiny for increasing violence by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and for its conduct of the war against militant group Hamas in Gaza.
Additionally, the UN rights chief on Tuesday said the legislation violated international humanitarian law.
