REUTERS, Jerusalem

Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday evening making death by hanging a default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks, fulfilling a pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies.

The law would only apply to Israelis convicted of murder whose attacks aimed at “ending Israel’s existence”, meaning it would mete out the death penalty for Palestinians but not for Jewish Israelis who committed similar crimes, critics say.

“The United States respects Israel’s sovereign right to determine its own laws and penalties for individuals convicted of terrorism,” a US State Department spokesperson said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the legislation as a breach of international law and a doomed bid meant to intimidate Palestinians.

“Such laws and measures will not break the will of the Palestinian people or undermine their steadfastness,” Abbas’ office said in a statement.

Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad called on Palestinians to launch attacks in revenge for the law.

The legislation has drawn international criticism of Israel, which is already under scrutiny for increasing violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and its war in Gaza.

The measure includes provisions requiring an execution by hanging within 90 days of sentencing, with some allowance for a delay but no right to clemency. It provides the option of imposing a life imprisonment sentence instead of capital punishment, but only in unspecified “special circumstances”.

Military courts in the West Bank can already sentence Palestinian convicts to death but have not done so.

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