TEL AVIV, 12 Nov. - (ANA) - Ikhlas al-Sayed is following the news regarding the Israeli Knesset's approval of the law to execute Palestinian prisoners with much anxiety. Her husband, Abbas al-Sayed, is one of the most prominent prisoners Israel refused to release in the last prisoner exchange deal.

 

The so-called National Security Committee of the Israeli Knesset, during its preliminary reading, approved last Tuesday a bill that would allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners and others it labels "terrorists", in a form of what many human rights organisations described as "extrajudicial killings".

 

The bill, submitted by MK Limor Son-Har-Milah of the Otzma Yehudit party, was transferred to the Knesset for discussion and voting in the three readings necessary for it to become law, according to established legislative procedures.

 

These discussions have sparked new levels of anxiety among the families of Palestinian prisoners, especially the leaders whom Israel refuses to release in any exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance.

 

Following the last prisoner exchange deal that took place last October between Israel and Hamas, more than 9,250 Palestinian prisoners remain captive in Israeli jails, including 49 women and 350 children.

 

 

 

 

Last October, Abbas al-Sayed's family members were shocked to discover his name wasn't on the list of those to be released in the prisoner exchange deal for the remaining living Israeli prisoners. Now, they are even more appalled by the proposed law to execute Palestinian prisoners.

 

Abbas Al-Sayed from Tulkarm was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to 35 life sentences and another 100 years for allegedly planning to carry out bombings inside Israel. He has been subjected to many abuses since his arrest, such as solitary confinement, torture, and being denied visits from his family or lawyers. His house was also blown up after his arrest.

 

His wife, Ikhlas, told The New Arab that the exclusion of Palestinian prisoners from the recent deal was tantamount to "a death sentence".

 

She emphasised that many Israeli laws threaten the lives of Palestinian prisoners, in addition to this latest proposal, including solitary confinement, severe food shortages, denial of medical treatment, and leaving them vulnerable to disease.

 

"The prisoners are deprived of most of the necessities. My husband filed a complaint with the Israeli court and submitted a full lawsuit, all for the sake of requesting a pen and paper!" she added.

 

The fear surrounding the passage of this law haunts the families, who believe they will now be targeted and isolated following the release of the Israeli prisoners.

 

"Ben-Gvir stood before the handcuffed prisoners lying on the ground and said, 'These people must die,' and no one stood up to oppose him or hold him accountable. He deprived them of food, medical treatment, and the rights they had gained over decades, and no one objected. It's very easy for them to pass a law like the one to execute prisoners," Ikhlas said.

 

Frustration grips the families of the prisoners, who are demanding serious action from international human rights organisations and the entire free world. The prisoners who left Israeli prisons were mere skeletons, yet this didn't prompt any accountability from Israel.

 

"Unfortunately, the international media has focused more on the Israeli prisoners and forgotten the suffering of thousands of Palestinian prisoners. We face severe restrictions from Israel if we take any action to demand the easing of the measures against them in the prisons," she concluded.

 

Ikhlas also fears the enactment of laws that restrict not only the prisoners but also their families, such as deportation and expulsion.

 

The concern towards the proposed law is also shared widely among Palestinians in the occupied territories. 

 

According to a recent poll conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion (PCPO), a 74.4% of Palestinians "believe the law would completely or partially eliminate peace prospects", 42.2% believe the death penalty bill aims to intensify racial discrimination against Palestinians, and 46.4% also think it would deteriorate relations and deepen hatred between the two peoples.

 

 

 

 

Despite the Israeli government's claims, particularly those of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, that the execution law for Palestinian prisoners is necessary for purely security reasons, other, perhaps more prominent, reasons lie behind its submission for a vote.

 

Mohammed Al-Taj, head of the founding committee of the Shams Foundation for Human Rights, told TNA that the law should be dubbed the "assassination of prisoners" because of how it blatantly violates the Geneva Conventions.

 

He explained that the law was proposed for several reasons, including, firstly, to appease the extreme right wing within the Israeli government coalition to secure more voters and to try to maintain the government in the face of the instability it had reached after its war on Gaza. 

 

The second reason, he argued, is that passing the law is an attempt to deter Palestinians from using any means to capture Israeli soldiers or settlers for prisoner exchange deals.

 

"But this thinking is naive and detached from reality, because if the law is passed, it will push the Palestinian resistance to think more about capturing Israeli soldiers and making prisoner exchange deals to protect prisoners before any assassination attempt against them," he added.

 

The law was also introduced to exert psychological and intellectual control over the Palestinian people, attempting to undermine their confidence in the resistance, break their will, and erode the widespread support the resistance has gained through the Palestinian public's backing.

 

According to al-Taj, Israel, through this law, is trying to instil in the collective Palestinian consciousness that resistance options will not achieve the desired goals, especially concerning prisoners, who are considered one of the most sensitive issues for Palestinians.

 

"The mere act of putting the law to a vote requires human rights organisations to take a stand to deter Israel from enacting such legislation to kill prisoners. If the world remains silent, this will lead to a loss of confidence in international law and all human rights organisations," he explained.

 

One day after the vote, the Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, was forced on Wednesday to withdraw all the bills it supported from the Knesset vote, including the bill to execute Palestinian prisoners, after failing to secure a parliamentary majority to pass them amidst escalating disputes with religious parties.

 

Nevertheless, the law could still be passed at any time in the future, especially if early Israeli elections are held, and it still poses a clear danger to the lives of Palestinian prisoners, especially leaders whom Israel considers "dangerous".   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/12 November 2025 - - -