Palestinian resistance group Hamas warned of “grave consequences” on Tuesday from a new Israeli law establishing a special military court for group members and granting it the power to issue death sentences, calling the measure “a dangerous escalation” and a “new crime” against Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli Knesset passed the law Monday evening after approving it in its second and third readings. The measure establishes a special military court for Hamas “elite force” members.
The law “reveals the vengeful and racist nature of the occupation system,” Hamas said in a statement.
It warned that the legislation represents “a dangerous escalation and a new crime added to the occupation’s record of war crimes and systematic violations against our people.”
“The Israeli government seeks through this law to legalise the killing of prisoners and turn courts into tools of revenge and abuse,” it said.
Hamas said the law’s “exceptional powers” for military courts and its permission to bypass rules of procedure and evidence reflect Israel’s departure from “standards of justice and fair trials.”
On Sunday, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin said the law would grant full authority to issue death sentences.
The law constitutes “a flagrant violation of all international laws and conventions, foremost among them the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law,” Hamas said.
It warned that the legislation also reflects Israel’s attempts “to evade any future prisoner exchange deals” by explicitly excluding detainees held after the Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza from any release agreements, calling it “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and humanitarian norms.”
The group called on the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and international human rights and humanitarian organisations to act urgently to stop the legislation and hold Israeli leaders accountable for “their ongoing crimes” against Palestinian prisoners.
Israel claims that Palestinians it detained during its genocidal war on Gaza are members of Hamas. They have not been tried to date.
The Israeli army has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 172,000 others during its two-year genocidal war on Gaza since October 2023.
More than 9,600 Palestinian detainees, including women and children, are held in Israeli prisons, where they face torture, starvation and medical neglect that have led to the deaths of dozens, according to Israeli and Palestinian rights reports.
