Israeli police disperse protest in Jerusalem for demonstrating against Palestinian prisoner execution law
JERUSALEM
Israeli police forcibly dispersed a protest Tuesday outside the Knesset in West Jerusalem for demonstrating against the passage of a law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, according to Israeli sources.
Police said two people were arrested as officers cleared demonstrators from outside the parliament building.
Hundreds took part in the protest, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
Video published by the outlet showed police using foul-smelling water to disperse protesters.
The Knesset passed the law Monday in a 62-48 vote. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in support.
The law mandates executions by hanging to be carried out by prison guards appointed by the Israeli Prison Service, while granting those involved anonymity and legal immunity.
It also requires transferring those sentenced to death to special detention facilities and restricting visits to authorized parties, with lawyer meetings limited to video communication.
The legislation has sparked outrage. About 1,200 Israeli figures, including Nobel laureates, former military officials and former Supreme Court judges, voiced strong opposition in February, calling it a “moral stain.”
More than 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 73 women. Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups have said detainees face torture, starvation and medical neglect, leading to dozens of deaths.
Since October 2023, Israel has intensified measures against Palestinian prisoners alongside its war in the Gaza Strip, which it is conducting with US support. The conflict has killed more than 72,000 people and wounded 172,000, most of them women and children.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul
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