Jerusalem: The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs (CDA) and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) regarded on Thursday the request for sentencing a Palestinian in Israeli detention to death penalty a serious escalation. The organizations expressed their concerns over the implications of this legal development, which they see as a significant and concerning shift in the handling of Palestinian detainees.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the request for the death penalty was submitted by the family of an Israeli colonist who was killed in the case involving detainee Ahmad Samer Dawabsha. Dawabsha, a resident of Duma town in the Nablus district, is currently held in Israeli detention. The family has requested that an Israeli military court impose the death penalty and demanded the replacement of the current panel of judges with higher-ranking ones to rule on the matter. The court has set a deadline of January 12 for the prosecution and defense to respond to this request.
The CDA and PPS argue that this request sets a dangerous precedent, particularly in light of recent events in Gaza and the current Israeli government's stance. The government, characterized by its fundamentalist ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has shown support for a bill imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners. This request coincides with ongoing efforts by the Israeli government to push forward the proposed death penalty bill, which has garnered significant public support.
The organizations also highlighted that since the onset of violence in the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces have killed over 100 Palestinians in prisons and detention facilities. The identities of 86 of these individuals have been announced, leaving many detainees from Gaza who were killed unrecognized. The CDA and PPS have repeatedly urged international organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to be allowed to visit detainees, assess their conditions, and facilitate family visitations.
Furthermore, they reiterated their call for imposing sanctions on Israel and its leaders, emphasizing the need to end Israel's impunity. They argue that this impunity enables the continued commission of crimes by occupation forces, unchecked and in full view of the international community.