Knesset backs Oct. 7 tribunal that could execute terrorists under genocide law

The Knesset passes first reading of bill setting up special tribunal to prosecute Oct. 7 terrorists, empowering court to charge those involved in massacres with genocide and impose death penalty.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

The Knesset has voted to move forward with legislation establishing a special tribunal to try Gaza terrorists involved in the atrocities of the October 7, 2023, invasion, allowing them to be charged with genocide and executed.

The bill passed its first reading in a unanimous vote after midnight on Tuesday, with 19 members of Knesset voting in favor.

If passed in its second and third readings, the law will establish a special judicial tribunal headed by a retired district court judge, which will be tasked with prosecuting terrorists involved in the Oct. 7 invasion and subsequent massacres.

The tribunal will be granted jurisdiction to hear offenses, including those arising under the Genocide Law, crimes related to the violation of Israeli sovereignty, aiding the enemy during wartime, and various terrorism offenses.

In light of the evidentiary complexity and the scale of the atrocities, the court may deviate from ordinary rules of procedure and evidence in order to ensure the ascertainment of truth, while preserving the fairness of the proceedings, the bill’s explanatory notes said.

Hearings will generally be public – broadcast on a dedicated website and preserved for the state archives.

Under the proposed law, the tribunal will be empowered to impose the death penalty on convicted terrorists.

Terrorists convicted by the tribunal, or facing pending prosecution by the tribunal, will not be eligible for release in future hostage deals.

The tribunal’s policies will be governed by a steering committee headed by the prime minister, with the justice minister, defense minister, and foreign minister also serving on the committee.

The bill was drafted jointly by lawmakers from the coalition and the opposition, including MK Simcha Rotman (Religious Zionist Party), MK Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beytenu), and Justice Minister Yariv Levin (Likud).