Ramallah (UNA/WAFA) – The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the statement issued by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at the conclusion of its 117th session, the day before yesterday, which addressed the law to execute Palestinian prisoners that was approved by the Israeli Knesset on March 30, 2026, due to its grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The ministry stressed that this statement reflects a growing international consensus on the seriousness of this racist “legislation,” which constitutes a dangerous escalation in the system of discriminatory laws and policies applied by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian people, especially since the law targets Palestinians exclusively and enshrines a discriminatory system in the application of justice.
She also stressed what was stated in the statement that imposing the death penalty, especially in the absence of fair trial guarantees and the continuation of the military court system as a tool of the racist occupation, constitutes a flagrant violation of the right to life guaranteed under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and is a serious crime that violates international human rights standards.
The Ministry appreciated the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s call for Israel to immediately repeal this law, to stop all policies and practices that involve racial discrimination against our people, and to ensure that Palestinian prisoners and detainees enjoy all their rights, including the right to a fair trial and protection from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or torture.
The Ministry also called on the international community and the States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, including the duty not to recognize illegal situations and not to provide assistance in sustaining them, and to take concrete measures to stop these violations, including holding Israel accountable for its illegal policies and practices, and ensuring that no support or resources are provided that contribute to entrenching this discriminatory system, in implementation of the Committee’s recommendations.
She stressed that despite the international response to our diplomatic efforts, she will continue her action at all international levels, including before the United Nations mechanisms and international courts, to ensure accountability for these violations, and to protect the rights of the Palestinian people, in accordance with the rules of international law and contributing to ending the occupation and achieving justice.
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