Israeli Lawmakers Enact Special Tribunal Law Allowing Death Penalty for October 7 Attack Suspects

The Israeli parliament (Knesset) has formally enacted a law establishing a special military tribunal to prosecute individuals accused of taking part in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack , which triggered the ongoing Gaza war.

The legislation passed the Knesset with a unanimous 93-0 vote , with other lawmakers absent or abstaining, reflecting rare cross-party consensus on accountability for the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.

The new law creates a dedicated court in Jerusalem empowered to try hundreds of suspects, including members of Hamas’s elite “Nukhba force” , who allegedly took part in killings, kidnappings, and related war crimes. The tribunal will operate with a three-judge panel system and is authorised to impose the death penalty in extreme convictions .

Proceedings will be conducted in a public, livestreamed courtroom , a provision intended to ensure transparency but criticised for potentially turning trials into a spectacle. Defendants retain the right to appeal, though appeals will be handled by a separate special appellate tribunal , not Israel’s regular courts.

Rights organisations, including Israeli legal advocacy groups, have warned the system may weaken due process safeguards , raise concerns over evidence obtained under duress, and blur judicial independence. Critics have also compared the model to historic wartime trials, citing parallels with the Eichmann proceedings of 1962 .

Officials supporting the bill argue it ensures justice for victims and prevents future prisoner exchanges involving convicted attackers.

The October 7 assault killed around 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 hostages taken to Gaza. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, amid ongoing international scrutiny of the conflict and detention practices.