The Israeli parliament has passed a new bill that would allow the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks, drawing widespread criticism from European countries and human rights groups.
The law targets Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with the death penalty being the main form of punishment for fatal attacks.
Under the new provisions, prisoners sentenced to death will be held in special facilities with no outside visits, except for certain staff, and legal consultations will only be allowed via video communication. Executions are scheduled to take place within 90 days of the verdict.
The proposed methods of execution include hanging, as well as other options such as the electric chair and euthanasia, with reports suggesting hanging will be used.
The amendments to the bill also allow courts to impose the death penalty without a formal request from the prosecutor and without a unanimous decision, instead by a simple majority.
Military courts in the West Bank were also given the power to impose such sentences, with the defense minister allowed to have his say in the process.
This move also closed the door to appeals or pardons for Palestinian offenders, in contrast to the previous system which still allowed sentences to be commuted to life imprisonment.
