Israeli politicians have passed a law establishing a military tribunal with the authority to sentence to death Hamas fighters who took part in the 7 October attack on Israel.
The unprecedented 2023 attack by the Palestinian militant group saw 1,200 people killed by Hamas fighters who stormed the border from Gaza into southern Israel. About 250 people were taken hostage in the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Israel retaliated with a two-year war in Gaza, which saw more than 72,000 Palestinians killed and most of the besieged enclave razed to the ground by relentless bombing, according to local authorities.
About half of those killed were women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
In a rare show of Israeli political unity, the law was supported by 93 members of the Knesset's 120 politicians.
The tribunal set up by the law would try hundreds of Palestinian militants who took part in the 7 October attack.
Israel's penal code includes capital punishment for some of the charges which the militants are likely to face.
If handed down, a death sentence would trigger an automatic appeal on behalf of the defendant, according to the new law.
Rights groups have criticised the measure, saying it makes the death penalty too easy to impose while also doing away with procedures safeguarding the right to a fair trial.
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Hamas Gaza spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the new law "serves as a cover for the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza".
(c) Sky News 2026: Israel passes law setting up military tribunal which can sentence 7 October attackers to death<
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