File Photo: Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit chairs the Arab Foreign Ministers 153rd annual meeting at the Arab League headquarters in the Egyptian capital Cairo. AFP
The measure “contravenes the most basic principles of international humanitarian law and flagrantly undermines the requirements of justice,” Aboul Gheit said, warning it reflects a serious escalation in policies targeting Palestinians.
The remarks come amid mounting concern over Israeli measures in the occupied Palestinian territories, including steps seen as tightening restrictions on Palestinians and raising fears of further escalation.
Aboul Gheit’s official spokesman, Gamal Roshdy, said the law reflects the “complete dominance of an extremely radical and racist faction” over political decision-making in Israel, describing it as part of a broader pattern aimed at constricting the Palestinian presence and stripping Palestinians of their remaining rights.
He added that the legislation forms part of a series of measures that pave the way for implementing a plan to annex the occupied West Bank.
Aboul Gheit also criticized “the international community’s inability” to take effective action in the face of such policies, calling it “deeply shameful,” and warned that Israel is driving the situation toward “an explosion” in the Palestinian territories.
He said the measures are part of an ongoing pattern to ignite crises across the region and draw it into a cycle of escalation and counter-escalation.
On Monday, Egypt condemned Israel’s approval of the law, calling it a dangerous escalation that violates international law and undermines fair trial guarantees.
Cairo warned that the legislation entrenches discrimination against Palestinians and breaches the legal framework governing the occupied territories, stressing it risks further destabilizing the situation in the West Bank and Gaza.
The law would make the death penalty the standard punishment for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks by Israeli military courts, where West Bank Palestinians are usually tried, while also applying in certain cases before Israeli criminal courts.
Egypt urged the international community to take decisive action to halt Israel's “ongoing violations,” reiterating its rejection of unilateral Israeli measures and warning of their impact on regional stability.
In recent years, Israel has expanded punitive measures against Palestinians, including broader detention practices, new legislation targeting security prisoners, and increased military operations in the occupied West Bank following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
Rights groups and UN bodies have repeatedly raised concerns over Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees, citing reports of administrative detention without trial, overcrowded facilities, and restrictions on legal access and family visits, particularly during periods of heightened conflict.
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