The cause of the Palestinian detainees remains a stark testament to the harshest forms of injustice.

A Bleak reality inside Ofer detention center

23/11/2025

The Commission of Detainees Affairs, in its report released today (Sunday) and based on the accounts of three detainees held in Ofer Camp, presented a stark depiction of harsh detention conditions and treatment described as “among the most brutal,” including systemic medical neglect, physical abuse, and daily room invasions.

The Commission’s attorney noted that detainee Ahmad Adel Hareesh, from Beitunia/Ramallah, who has been held since 31/08/2025, suffers from severe stomach pain suspected to be caused by a bacterial infection.
Despite this, he is only provided with painkillers, while the physician either arrives hours late or fails to show up at all.
He added that the doctor provocatively calls out to the detainees from behind the window, saying: “Who wants to die?”
He further recounted a mass raid on the room after a nail clipper was broken, during which detainees were beaten and taken out in restraints for several hours. A female soldier was also brought in under the pretext of receiving complaints, only for the detainee to later be summoned and punished for filing his complaint, either by issuing an administrative detention order against him or subjecting him to degrading treatment.

Meanwhile, detainee Naji Sharif Mahmoud Awadallah (24), from Beitunia, who has been detained since 28/08/2025 and is currently held under a four-month administrative detention order, described the camp’s conditions as extremely harsh: constant assaults, daily searches and raids, inadequate food, lack of hygiene, and sleep deprivation through the removal of mattresses at six in the morning.

In addition, detainee Ezz Al-Din Ahmad Khaddour (20), from Beit Duqqu/Jerusalem, suffers from a foot injury for which he had been receiving treatment before his arrest. Despite requiring medication and medical follow-up, he has not received any treatment for 70 days.
He also confirmed that the camp’s rooms lack even the most basic necessities, as prisoners are forced to drink water from the bathroom tap with no cups provided. Khaddour, a former detainee, was re-arrested on 02/09/2025.

These testimonies collectively portray a worsening humanitarian situation inside Ofer Camp, amid repeated calls from the Commission for intervention and ending the ongoing violations against detainees.

Commission of Detainees Affairs:

The continuous shortage of clothing, blankets, medicine, and food inside Israeli prisons and detention centers coincides with an increase of raids and a rise in the intensity of beatings and torture.

 Electroshocks & Starvation: Escalating Torture of Palestinian Political Prisoners by the Israeli Occupation’s Prison System

November 27, 2025

Briefing by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society & the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs based on lawyers’ visits conducted during November 2025

Ramallah, occupied Palestine - The Israeli occupation’s apparatus of brutality continues to commit serious crimes against Palestinian political prisoners – forming another facet of the ongoing genocide in occupied Gaza. Acts of torture, abuse, starvation, and severe assault persist at unprecedented levels since the start of the genocide.

Lawyers of the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society carried out dozens of visits to political prisoners during the month of November 2025, and prepared this report, which includes testimonies, on the horrific maltreatment and overall conditions for detainees.

The prisons that were visited include: the Naqab, Ofer, Damon, Shatta, Megiddo, Gilboa, Ofer Camp (Gilad), Janout (formerly Ramon and Nafha) as well as the Rakevet underground section of Ramla Prison. The two organizations documented an escalation in the scale of attacks—particularly through the use of electric shocks, rubber-coated bullets, and the exploitation of injuries suffered by the wounded – further torturing them by denying them medical treatment.

This briefing comes at a time when the occupation is seeking, at an accelerated pace, to legalize the execution of Palestinian prisoners—one of the most dangerous legislative proposals it has attempted to impose throughout its history.

Full report in English below👇🏽

Electroshocks & Starvation: Escalating Torture of Palestinian Political
Prisoners by the Israeli Occupation’s Prison System
Briefing by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society and the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs based on lawyers’ visits conducted during November 2025
Published November 27, 2025
Ramallah, occupied Palestine - The Israeli occupation’s apparatus of brutality continues to commit serious crimes against Palestinian political prisoners – forming another facet of the ongoing genocide in occupied Gaza. Acts of torture, abuse, starvation, and severe assault persist at unprecedented levels since the start of the genocide.
Lawyers of the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society carried out dozens of visits to political prisoners during the month of November 2025, and prepared this report on the horrific maltreatment and overall conditions for detainees.
The prisons that were visited include: the Naqab, Ofer, Damon, Shatta, Megiddo, Gilboa, Ofer Camp (Gilad), Janout (formerly Ramon and Nafha) as well as the Rakevet underground section of Ramla Prison. The two organizations documented an escalation in the scale of attacks— particularly through the use of electric shocks, rubber-coated bullets, and the exploitation of injuries suffered by the wounded – further torturing them by denying them medical treatment.
Diseases continue to rise, and the general health conditions and immunity of the prisoners continue to deteriorate, with the renewed spread of Scabies skin disease in several prisons and the registration of hundreds of new cases.
This briefing comes at a time when the occupation is seeking, at an accelerated pace, to legalize the execution of Palestinian prisoners—one of the most dangerous legislative proposals it has attempted to impose throughout its history. Today, in the context of the ongoing genocide inside the prisons, and as part of a series of legislations targeting Palestinian existence, the occupation—which for many decades has carried out extrajudicial executions through various policies, including slow killing that has affected hundreds of prisoners and detainees—is working to formalize and officially legalize executions.
Gilad Military Camp in Ofer Prison: Widespread Use of Electro-Shocking
The recently established Gilad Military Camp within Ofer prison, holds more than 120 newly detained Palestinian political prisoners. Detainees held there face harsh detention conditions and systematic abuse. Detainee testimonies showed that electro-shocking has become a primary tool used to torture them.
In one testimony, a detainee reported that another prisoner was electroshocked after prison forces saw him leading other detainees in prayer inside the room. Other detainees also reported being subjected to physical attacks, electric shocks, and abuse because some prisoners stood near the barred windows inside the cells in an attempt to breathe some air. They described electric shocking as one of the harshest and most severe methods used against them.
Among other forms of abuse practiced against detainees is forcing them to sleep on “alabraash”—beds made of iron bars over which very thin mattresses are placed, causing harm to their bodies. For this reason, most prisoners prefer to sleep on the floor; however, with the arrival of winter and the intensifying cold at night, their suffering has increased. It is worth noting that the camp administration removes blankets and mattresses during the morning inspection at 6am, preventing the prisoners from sitting or lying down until 10pm at night.
The detainees also indicated that the “head-count”, or what is called the security check, is exploited as a tool of abuse, during which they are forced to kneel on the ground and raise their hands above their heads until the procedure is over.
All detainees reported suffering from hunger, as they are given food that is inedible and often spoiled.
During their transfer to lawyers’ visits, detainees are brought handcuffed and shackled, forced to place their cuffed hands above their heads, blindfolded, and required to keep their heads lowered.
The “Rakevet” Underground Section of Ramla Prison
The testimonies of Palestinians abducted from occupied Gaza remain the harshest and most severe since the beginning of the genocide, based on dozens of visits carried out in several prisons and camps.
Three meals are provided consisting of only small, minimal portions. Mattresses are distributed only from 11pm to 4am, and during the daytime detainees are forced to sit on the iron bars of the beds. Collective prayer is prohibited and only individual prayer is allowed. Possession of the Qur’an is not permitted.
Beatings and repression by special prison forces continue, and during the recreation period detainees are shackled and forbidden from lifting their heads. Verbal insults and degradation are constant, along with ongoing threats—especially before they are taken to lawyers’ visits, during which they are forbidden from speaking about what occurs inside the section or about the abuses they face. They are also prevented from receiving any information about what is happening outside the prison.
Testimonies of Palestinians Abducted from occupied Gaza Held in “Rakevet”:
Detainee (A.M.):
“I was arrested at the checkpoint while passing from Khan Younis toward Al-Mawasi. I was interrogated in the field and beaten. Although I have cancer, they continued to detain me and transferred me to the barracks with dozens of other prisoners. Later, I was moved to Asqalan Prison, where I underwent interrogation about five times. After the interrogation ended, I was transferred to the Rakevet section, where I remain held to this day without receiving any treatment or medical care.”
Detainee (N.R.):
“I was arrested in December 2023 in Jabalia. I was not subjected to field interrogation; I was taken directly to the barracks. There, I underwent military interrogation for eight consecutive days, during which I was subjected to shabeh (stress positions) and beatings—specifically the ‘banana’ position—as well as the ‘disco’ interrogation method. Then I was transferred to
Asqalan Prison in April 2024 and interrogated again for 25 days. Later, I was moved to the Rakevet section. Today I suffer from chest pain due to the beatings I endured during my transfer to the section.”
Detainee (M.N.):
“I was arrested in November 2023 at the Netzarim checkpoint. I was interrogated in the field for hours and beaten. Then I was taken to the barracks, where I was tortured. I was taken and tied in a stress position to the fence for nearly an hour (shabeh). Later, I was transferred to the Ofer cells and subjected to continuous military interrogation, during which they used shabeh, beatings, and the ‘banana’ position, which caused a fracture in my back. Afterward, my statement was taken and I was moved to the ‘asafeer’ section (informants). Two days later, I was placed in solitary confinement, where I was tortured and threatened. Due to the continuous handcuffing, my hands changed color, and today I suffer from impaired vision and constant back pain resulting from the fracture.”
Naqab Prison: One of the Worst Central Prisons; Atrocities Intensifying
Naqab Prison remains one of the central facilities where horrifying testimonies and torture practices have been documented, and where several detainees have died. More than two years into the Gaza genocide, the catastrophic reality inside the prison is only getting worse— including systematic repression by prison special forces termed “Keter” - as well as the firing of rubber-coated bullets at detainees inside their cells and during their time in the prison yard.
In addition, the spread of scabies has continued, turning into yet another tool of torture and mistreatment within the prison system. Cases have risen sharply, to the point where they can no longer be counted. Even when legal teams succeed in securing a decision to transfer sick prisoners to the clinic, the occupation’s prison administration only provides a superficial service and forces the detainees to sign papers stating they received treatment, while in reality they receive no medical care and instead face humiliation and abuse during the transfer process.
Once again, prisoners confirmed the continuation of systematic abuse during the “security check – headcount,” in which they are forced to kneel, place their hands above their heads, and lower their heads downward. Each prisoner is also required to sit in a small designated space inside the cell and is beaten and abused if he exceeds it.
Prisoners recounted one recent repression operation that was carried out after a plastic wrapper was found inside one of the cells—detainees were assaulted, beaten, and denied access to the prison yard. Their suffering has worsened with the arrival of winter and the intensifying cold, especially at night, as the administration continues to deprive them of blankets and adequate clothing.
As for the crime of starvation, it continues to escalate, with further reductions in the already minimal food portions. Despite the occupation’s High Court ruling that the food provided to prisoners must be reassessed, the prison system has disregarded the decision altogether and has in fact reduced food quantities even further.
Ofer Prison: Widespread Outbreak of Scabies and Escalating Raids
During November, dozens of prisoners were visited in Ofer Prison, one of the main facilities holding thousands of political prisoners and detainees. According to numerous testimonies, the spread of Scabies is a central issue, especially after it widely infected even the section allocated for child prisoners.
Despite the occupation’s prison administration’s claim that it provides treatment consisting of an ointment and a pill, the reality is entirely different. A single tube of ointment distributed to dozens of prisoners does not constitute real treatment, as each prisoner needs more than one tube to receive adequate care. With the infection spreading across their bodies and causing boils, prisoners can no longer stand, move, or sleep.
The outbreak at this scale is linked to a series of other oppressive policies, including:
• Depriving prisoners of adequate amounts of clothing
• Depriving them of hygenic products both individually and for the cell
• Weakened immunity resulting from the crime of starvation
• Lack of exposure to fresh air or sunlight
• Continued confinement in overcrowded cells

Beyond diseases, physical attacks do not stop. Systematic raids and searches continue, during which rubber-coated bullets are fired and police dogs are used. In November, one of the cells was subjected to a raid after the administration discovered that prisoners possessed plastic bags they had used to cover the barred, open windows due to the severe cold.

Details relayed by three prisoners in lawyers’ visits:

• One child detainee suffers from severe chest pain as a result of repeated repression operations targeting children, accompanied by beatings, stun grenades, and police dogs.
• Another detainee reported that October 2025 witnessed a significant escalation in repression operations, during which prisoners were beaten with batons and shot with rubber-coated bullets. Repression forces deliberately carry out their assaults during the morning count.
• The third detainee said that due to the pressure and harsh conditions of detention, he has begun experiencing repeated seizures during which he loses consciousness—even losing consciousness while being transported to a court hearing. Recently, these seizures have been occurring at least three times a week, leaving him with severe pain in his limbs.
Megiddo, Gilboa, Shatta, and Janout Prisons
All testimonies of detainees in these prisons indicated new cases of scabies, along with the prison administration’s deliberate reduction of food portions and the continuation of repression and assaults. The most striking development in these prisons, however, is the rise in medical cases; most of those visited suffer from health problems and require urgent treatment, especially the wounded.
Prisoner (D.N.) sustained a head injury two months before his arrest and suffered significant damage to his face. He was supposed to undergo eye surgery before being detained, but this never happened. Today, he suffers from severe pain, and a piece of shrapnel remains lodged in his head that must be removed. Like thousands of others, he is denied treatment despite repeated appeals.
Prisoner (M.R.) suffers from an injury to his foot by occupation forces during a previous arrest. When he was re-arrested in 2023, he was assaulted, causing the metal plates placed in his feet to break. He now suffers from intense pain, yet the prison administration refuses to provide treatment or even conduct an examination to assess the damage caused by the assault.
Prisoner (A.D.) had previously been injured by gunfire in his foot and was supposed to undergo bone graft surgery, but the prison system denied him this medical care. He now suffers from severe, continuous pain and relies on a crutch to move. His suffering intensified after the prison administration confiscated the crutch from him.
These testimonies clearly show how the prison system uses prisoners’ injuries and medical needs as tools of abuse and torture by denying them treatment.
It is also noted that large-scale transfers have affected hundreds of prisoners, especially from Megiddo Prison to Naqab Prison.
In Janout Prison, one of the prisoners who was visited was violently assaulted while being taken to a visit; he was severely beaten, insulted, and shackled in a manner that tormented him.
Damon Prison (Females only)
More than 50 female prisoners are currently held in Damon Prison, including one from Gaza and two girls. The women prisoners, like all other prisoners, continue to face a series of systematic abuses, including repeated repression, strip-searches, beatings, as well as systematic deprivation of basic necessities.
The women’s testimonies focused heavily on the urgent need for healthcare, especially with the presence of serious medical cases, most notably prisoner Fidaa Assaf, who suffers from cancer, and another newly-detained prisoner who also has cancer, Suheir Al-Za’aqiq, who was recently arrested from Beit Ummar/Hebron during the large-scale arrest campaign carried out in the town.
Many of the women also spoke of the harsh and oppressive conditions they faced during the interrogation period before being transferred to Damon Prison, with some undergoing interrogation for over a month. Their special needs constituted one of the main issues they raised, including the severe shortage of sanitary pads, as well as their need for a gynecologist to follow up on numerous health problems that have worsened due to the harsh detention conditions and weakened immunity resulting from starvation.
In their testimonies, female prisoners also expressed the severe psychological challenges they face under the oppressive isolation conditions—one of the most dangerous and harmful policies affecting their mental health. This burden is only compounded by the ongoing denial of family visits, especially for imprisoned mothers who were torn from their homes and deprived of their children.
It is noted that the vast majority of the women are detained on charges the occupation labels as “incitement,” in addition to several who are held under administrative detention.
Data on Palestinian Political Prisoners in November 2025
As of November 2025, the number of Palestinian political prisoners and detainees held in the Israeli occupation’s prisons exceeds 9,250 people, the majority of whom are detainees awaiting trial and ‘administrative detainees’ (those denied trial or formal charges). This figure does not include detainees held in military camps under the authority of the occupying army and not the central prison system.
• According to figures announced by the Israeli Prison Service up to November 2025, the number of sentenced prisoners reached 1,242 people.
• At least 50 Palestinian women, including one from Gaza, are held behind bars.
• At least 350 Palestinian children are held in Ofer and Megiddo prisons.
• At least 3,368 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank are held without trial or charge also known as “administrative detainees.”
• The number of detainees abducted from occupied Gaza and are held under the “unlawful combatants” law has reached 1,205 people, noting that this figure does not include all Gaza detainees held in army-run camps who fall under this classification. This category also includes Arab detainees from Lebanon and Syria.
• The occupation acknowledged that 94 Palestinian prisoners have been martyred in its prison system and military camps up to August 2025. Detainees institutions have documented and identified 81 of those people. With four additional detainees announced killed after August, this means the number of prisoners who were killed in custody exceeds 100 people.
Key Demands:
• States must comply with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and activate its findings regarding the illegality of the occupation, and to demand the immediate dismantling of the military court system.
• The Independent International Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council must investigate all abuses against prisoners and detainees, including torture, extrajudicial killings, field executions, and sexual violence, and to hold those responsible accountable under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
• States must condemn and act against the proposed law to execute prisoners, as it effectively legalizes extrajudicial execution; International action must halt these draft laws and hold those responsible accountable.
• The crimes committed by the occupation must be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as war crimes and crimes against humanity, and ensuring that perpetrators do not escape accountability.
• Activating universal jurisdiction against those responsible for violations, including political, security, and administrative leaders, as well as members of the Knesset who vote for discriminatory laws.
• Imposing sanctions on and boycotting the occupyping state.
• Enabling specialized international bodies—including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UN Special Rapporteurs—to access prisons without restrictions and to receive testimonies in a safe and transparent manner.
(ENDS)

 Prisoner institutions: On World Children’s Day, the Israeli occupation is carrying out physical and psychological destruction against child prisoners

 Since the beginning of the genocidal war, one child prisoner has died of starvation in the occupation’s prisons, and more than 1,630 boys and girls have been arrested from the West Bank, along with dozens of children from Gaza

Full report in English below

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Commission of Detainees Affairs:

The spread of scabies among detainees in Israeli prisons poses a threat to their lives, with the approach of winter

Commission of Detainees reports arrest details of detainee Qusai Shreim, who is held in Gilboa Prison

November 23, 2025

In a report issued on Sunday, and based on the account provided by its lawyer, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs documented the abuse Palestinian detainees face during their arrest, including savage and indiscriminate beatings, along with harmful violations against them and their families. Among those detainees is:
. Detainee Qusai Shreim (25 years old) from the town of Rujeib/Nablus. He was taken from his home at around four o’clock in the early hours of 6/12/2023. An Israeli military unit, whose members had their faces covered, stormed his house, separated him from his family, shackled his hands, blindfolded him, and placed him in a military vehicle. He was then transported to the “Huwara” camp and later moved to the “Petah Tikva” interrogation facility.

The detainee recounts: “I spent 68 days inside the Petah Tikva interrogation center under extremely harsh and degrading living conditions. During that period, I was placed inside the so-called ‘birds room’ (informants' cell). Afterwards, I was transferred to Megiddo Prison, and eventually to Gilboa Prison.”
Shreim is also suffering from scabies, which causes continuous itching and a spread of skin bumps across his body. The prison authorities intentionally ignore his condition and refrain from providing him with proper medical care.

The Commission emphasized that all detainees endure various forms of physical and psychological mistreatment, beginning with the moment of their arrest, through the interrogation process, and throughout their time in Israeli detention centers.

Detainees in “Megiddo” prison are enduring extremely tough conditions

November 19, 2025

The Commission of Detainees’ Affairs reported on Wednesday that minor detainees held in Megiddo Prison are living increasingly difficult humanitarian conditions, as restrictive measures and harsh treatment continue inside the facility.

During a visit by the Commission’s attorney to several detainees, the severity of the minors’ suffering was clear. Among them was Ahed Mahmoud Salman (17), from the town of Qusin, who has been held under administrative detention since July. He is placed in a section with eight detainees, some of whom are infected with scabies due to overcrowding and insufficient medical care, which has caused painful boils for several detainees.

The attorney also met with detainee Kareem Salim Saba’aneh (16), from Jenin, who is scheduled to appear in court in early January. Although his condition has improved after having scabies, he and eight others held in the same room have been denied access to the outdoor yard without any reason, in addition to facing a shortage of clothing and poor-quality food.

Meanwhile, detainee Mohammad Jumaa Zbeidat (17), from Jericho, is experiencing serious health concerns, including severe tooth and ear pain that prevents him from sleeping. He has also lost ten kilograms due to inadequate nutrition provided in the prison.

The detainees who spoke to the attorney reported frequent transfers within the prison and the relocation of many administrative detainees to Ketziot and Ofer prisons. They also highlighted that bright lights remain on inside the rooms around the clock, adding to their physical and psychological strain.
These accounts offer a glimpse into the harsh and degrading conditions that detainees, particularly minors, are forced to endure.

The suffering of detainee Mujahid Akkoub (30) has escalated as well. He was injured by two bullets that damaged his right hand and the vein in his foot. Despite undergoing two surgeries, he continues to struggle with severe pain in his hand and back. The prison administration has stopped providing adequate pain medication, giving him only painkillers, and the cold weather has worsened his discomfort.

Detainee Ihab Shouli (39) also told the attorney that he has lost weight and is suffering from scabies, noting that prison sections are frequently raided while detainees are away on visits.

A few weeks ago, the prison administration removed all storage cabinets from the cells, forcing detainees to keep their belongings under their beds. Despite the cold temperatures, winter blankets have not been provided.
The minor detainee Yamen Al-Darbi (15) remains infected with scabies and is held in Section 6 of Megiddo prison, which lacks even the minimum standards of living conditions and medical care.

10 November 2025

Position Paper Issued by Palestinian Human Rights Organizations:

An Israeli Draft Bill Imposing Death Penalty Against Palestinians

Introduction

On Monday, 03 November 2025, the National Security Committee of the Israeli Knesset approved a draft bill imposing the death penalty on Palestinians. The bill, if enacted, would apply the death penalty to any person who kills an Israeli on national grounds. The Knesset was expected to approve the bill in its first reading this week; however, Israeli media outlets reported that consideration of the bill has been postponed, along with several other draft bills, due to internal factional disputes within the Knesset.

Current deliberations on this bill, whether in the media or among human rights organizations, present a deceptive and misleading image portraying Israel as one of the states that do not apply the death penalty saying that it had already abolished this penalty but now intends to reactivate it against Palestinian detainees. This position paper seeks to clarify the facts surrounding the death penalty in Israel and to demonstrate that, in practice, Israel has continued to implement it against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for decades.

• The State of Israel is not among the states that have abolished the death penalty. It has not also acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 1966, adopted in December 1989, which obliges signatory states to abolish the death penalty. Accordingly, Israel remains among the states whose national legislation continues to provide for the death penalty.

• Since its establishment in 1948, Israel inherited the laws of the British Mandate over Palestine, which included the death penalty, particularly the 1945 Emergency Regulations that embody the colonial experience in oppressing and suppressing peoples under colonial rule. In 1954, Israel abolished the death penalty for ordinary civilian murders but continued to apply it for crimes related to the pursuit of Nazis, genocide, and treason offenses. In 1962, Adolf Eichmann was executed by hanging after being convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity.

• The most alarming aspect of the new draft bill is that it applies retroactively, marking an unprecedented escalation in Israeli legislation, particularly in the field of penal law, as it would take effect immediately upon its enactment and publication. It is evident that this bill was drafted in line with the positions of senior figures in the Israeli government, including Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, with the intent of executing collective death sentences that could target hundreds of Palestinian detainees from the Al-Qassam Brigades’ elite forces who were arrested on or after 7 October. Thus, the essence of this draft bill reflects a retaliatory and revengeful motive, rather than serving as a measure of deterrence or prevention.

• The non-issuance or execution of death sentences by Israeli courts against Palestinians has never stemmed from any legal or moral commitment, nor from respect for human dignity. Rather, it has been driven by security considerations- on the one hand, to extract information from detainees at later stages, and on the other, to maintain the inhumane conditions to which Palestinian detainees are subjected. In all, these practices amount to a form of slow death for the detainees.

• The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have perpetrated- and continue to perpetrate-thousands of extrajudicial executions against Palestinians through various methods, most notably:

• Assassinations: Assassinations or what Israel refers to as “targeted killings” constitute an official and declared Israeli policy against Palestinians. Under this policy, Palestinians are targeted and killed based on information collected by Israeli security apparatuses. Thus, the IOF acts as both prosecutor and judge, serving as the authority that approves and carries out these unlawful assassinations. While perpetrating such crimes, the IOF show no regard for the lives of others who may be killed alongside the intended targets. According to Palestinian human rights organizations, the IOF has conducted hundreds of assassinations over the decades. The majority of the victims of these crimes were defenseless, non-targeted civilians, including children and women, who happened to be present at the scene of the attack.

• Sniping Operations: the human rights organizations have documented hundreds of cases in which trained snipers from the IOF opened fire on Palestinian civilians, killing them instantly. During the genocide in the Gaza Strip, these human rights organizations recorded dozens of incidents where Israeli snipers targeted defenseless Palestinian civilians, either during the evacuation of Gaza’s population or as civilians attempted to obtain humanitarian aid, among other circumstances. During the Great March of Return protests in 2018, the organizations documented dozens of additional cases where Israeli snipers, positioned in fortified military watchtowers, opened fire on participants in the peaceful protests along the Gaza border fence. As a result, hundreds of protesters were killed and injured.

• Shooting at military checkpoints: the organizations have documented dozens of shooting incidents in which Palestinian civilians were killed at Israeli military checkpoints, particularly in the West Bank, where the IOF have erupted hundreds of checkpoints separating Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps. These incidents reflect the IOF’s permissive rules of engagement, which authorize soldiers to kill Palestinians in cold blood.

• Shooting peaceful protesters in the West Bank: Amid loose rules of engagement, hundreds of Palestinians participating in peaceful protests have been killed during IOF incursions deep into residential areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority, or during demonstrations protesting settlement expansion and land seizures. The organizations have documented hundreds of killing incidents in which the protesters posed no threat whatsoever to the lives of Israeli soldiers.

• Killing detainees: A slow death has become an imminent fate for many Palestinian detainees held in IOF prisons and detention facilities due to the systematic deterioration of inhumane living conditions. Dozens of Palestinian detainees have died as a result of deliberate medical neglect and ill-treatment. The brutal use of torture methods has also claimed the lives of tens of detainees. Since 7 October 2023, and according to hundreds of testimonies from released detainees, torture, as well as degrading and inhuman treatment, have been practiced on a widespread scale. The exact number of detainees killed under torture remains unknown; however, documentation by the human rights organizations indicates that more than 50 detainees have been killed, while hundreds have been forcibly disappeared, raising serious concerns that many may have been extrajudicially executed during their detention.

Conclusion

Israel presents itself among the states that have abolished the death penalty- at least for ordinary murder crimes- yet it has never fully repealed this inhuman punishment in law, and in practice continues to carry out extrajudicial executions through various means. The enactment of a new law imposing the death penalty exclusively against Palestinians marks a new episode in the ongoing series of oppression and constitutes a grave escalation in Israel’s widespread violations against Palestinians, including hundreds of extrajudicial executions. This law will apply solely to Palestinians, thereby revealing yet another facet of Israel’s apartheid regime, as the death penalty will not be enforced against any Israeli who kills a Palestinian.