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Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has passed a controversial bill that will instruct military courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in acts of 'terror'. The law, which enters into effect within 30 days, was approved by 62 lawmakers, with 48 voting against it and one abstention.The new law targets only West Bank Palestinians, who are not Israeli citizens, and instructs military courts to impose the draconian sentence for lethal attacks on Israelis. Amichai Cohen, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute's Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, noted that 'Jews will not be indicted under this law'.The Palestinian Authority called the bill 'a war crime against the Palestinian people', saying that it breached the Fourth Geneva Convention. Rights group B'Tselem pointed out that the conviction rate for Palestinians tried in military courts is about 96 percent, with many convictions based on 'confessions' obtained through pressure and torture during interrogations.The law has been condemned by international critics, including the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and Amnesty International, which said it would make the death penalty 'another discriminatory tool in Israel's system of apartheid'. The Association of Civil Rights in Israel has filed a petition with Israel's Supreme Court to challenge the law, describing it as 'discriminatory by design' and 'enacted without legal authority'.

In the final moments of January 29, 2024, five-year-old Hind Rajab’s desperate pleas for help were cut short as she remained trapped in a car surrounded by the bodies of six relatives. Despite obtaining clearance from the Israeli military, a Red Crescent ambulance dispatched to rescue the child was struck by tank fire, killing two paramedics and leaving the vehicle abandoned for over a week.Two years after the tragedy, the global campaign group Avaaz has released a report alleging that this incident was a deliberate 'double-tap' strike. This tactic, often used in warfare, involves a first attack followed by a second strike targeting civilians or emergency responders attempting to assist victims of the initial assault.The Avaaz analysis, shared exclusively with Al Jazeera, documents over 40 alleged human rights violations and argues that the attack contravenes international combat law, specifically the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute. The report suggests that the Israeli military possessed full situational awareness of the rescue mission but deliberately targeted the ambulance.Forensic evidence contradicts the Israeli military's initial claims that the family car was destroyed during an exchange of fire. Analysis by Forensic Architecture at Goldsmiths, University of London, found no evidence of combatants in the vicinity, only the presence of Israeli Merkava tanks. The report highlights that the ambulance was fired upon with 120mm tank rounds without warning, a finding supported by the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has identified 24 potential perpetrators.'I am absolutely convinced that this is another case of double tap,' said Sarah Andrew, legal director of Avaaz. 'The kind of weaponry used on the ambulance, the timing, and the fact that no warning was given – it immediately triggered a question in my mind.'The Avaaz brief urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the matter. The group notes that more than 1,500 healthcare workers have been killed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, raising serious concerns about the safety of medical personnel in the region.