JEDDAH: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the approval of a law by the Israeli Parliament permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners.
The General Secretariat of the OIC, in a statement on Tuesday, termed the move dangerous, which would grant a licence for murder and political execution against the Palestinian people, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The organisation expressed grave concern over the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities.
The #OIC Condemns the Approval of the Law on the Execution of Palestinian #Prisoners.#Palestine #Israel pic.twitter.com/V8RkpmxDVE
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) March 31, 2026
It highlighted allegations of torture, ill-treatment, humiliation, intimidation, sexual violence, starvation, and systematic deprivation of basic human rights, warning that these practices pose serious threats to detainees’ lives.
The statement linked these concerns to the broader situation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem.
The OIC urged the international community—including the United Nations, global human rights organisations, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union—to take concrete action.
It called for accountability measures against Israel as the occupying power, pressure to revoke the law in question, and efforts to safeguard the rights of Palestinian prisoners and work toward their release.
The bill passed with 62 lawmakers voting in favour, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and 48 voting against.
It was introduced by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who publicly signalled his support by wearing a noose-shaped lapel pin ahead of the vote.
Under the proposed law, Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank who are found guilty by military courts of intentionally carrying out deadly attacks would face the death penalty as the default punishment.
Shortly after its passage, a prominent human rights organisation filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking to have the legislation overturned.
“The law creates two parallel tracks, both designed to apply to Palestinians,” the Association for Civil Rights in Israel said in a statement.
“In military courts — which have jurisdiction over West Bank Palestinians — it establishes a near-mandatory death sentence,” the rights group said.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the law’s adoption, saying that “Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian land.”
“This law once again reveals the nature of the Israeli colonial system, which seeks to legitimise extrajudicial killing under legislative cover,” it added.
On Sunday, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy voiced “deep concern” over the bill, warning that it could “undermine Israel’s commitments to democratic principles.”
