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In a shocking escalation of violence, civilians in Gaza's Maghazi camp were caught in the crossfire as rival armed groups clashed, leaving 10 people dead and 44 injured. The incident occurred on Monday, with eyewitnesses describing scenes of panic and chaos as armed men stormed homes and a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).The violence began when armed groups approached from the direction of the "yellow line" that separates Palestinian and Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza. The groups, allegedly backed by Israeli forces, moved towards civilian homes and the Al-Maghazi Preparatory Boys School, which is sheltering large numbers of displaced people.Residents reported that the armed men, who identified themselves as the "Popular Forces combating terrorism", a rival group to Hamas, broke into homes, detained family members, and used the houses as cover during the battle. The family of Asaad Nteel, who was caught up in the violence, described being ordered to gather in one room and not move, fearing harm to themselves and their children.The clashes, which lasted for over an hour and a half, caused extreme distress to residents, who do not support these groups. Local people claim the armed men were provided with cover and support by Israeli forces, with some eyewitnesses reporting the use of armed drones to aid the armed men's withdrawal.The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has documented previous violence by these groups, including looting of aid convoys, kidnappings, torture, and killings, with cover or support from the Israeli army. The centre has called for an urgent independent investigation, accountability for those responsible, and effective protection for civilians.The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with activists sharing videos documenting victims being transported to hospitals. The violence has also raised concerns about the emerging armed groups in Gaza, which appear to operate near areas along the "yellow line".Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas supposedly began on October 11, 733 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and 2,034 injured, in addition to 759 bodies recovered. The situation remains dire, with civilians continuing to bear the brunt of the conflict.

Iran carried out the execution of Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian on Saturday morning, following a Supreme Court ruling that confirmed their death sentences for membership in the outlawed People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and involvement in "armed rebellion" through multiple terrorist acts. The two men were hanged after a Revolutionary Court sentenced them in late 2024, a case that underscores Tehran's intensified crackdown on dissent amid the US‑Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28. This latest execution follows the hanging of four other PMOI members—Mohammad Taghavi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi—on March 30‑31, bringing the total number of executed opposition figures to six since the conflict escalated. The PMOI condemned the hangings in an April 2 statement, labeling Tehran's actions a "futile" attempt to suppress opposition and warning that such brutality will only fuel the resolve of Iran’s youth to challenge the regime. Human‑rights groups have also decried the executions. Amnesty International reported that the men were allegedly tortured while in custody and transferred to an undisclosed location shortly before their deaths. The organization warned that additional protesters—some sentenced to death for participation in the January anti‑government demonstrations—could face execution after being moved from Ghezel Hesar prison. Amnesty’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Diana Eltahawy, said, "It is unconscionable that even as the population endures mass bereavement from aerial bombardments, the Islamic Republic continues to weaponize the death penalty to eradicate dissenting voices and terrorise its people." The wave of hangings also includes the case of Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian‑Swedish national convicted of spying for Israel, whose execution sparked outrage in Stockholm and the European Union. Another individual convicted of acting on behalf of Israel and the United States during the protests was executed on Thursday. These developments occur against a backdrop of intensified military confrontations, with Iran reporting the downing of U.S. aircraft and ongoing aerial bombardments by Israel and the United States, further complicating the nation’s internal security landscape. International observers warn that the continued use of capital punishment as a tool of political repression not only violates human‑rights norms but also risks deepening regional instability as the war persists.

Cambodia has taken a significant step in its fight against cybercrime by approving a new law targeting scam centers accused of defrauding foreigners of billions of dollars. The law, which aims to enhance the country's 'cleaning operation' against these illicit operations, imposes punishments of two to five years in prison and fines of up to $125,000 for those convicted of online scams.The legislation, which will now go to Cambodia's king for a final signature, also outlines penalties for money laundering, gathering victims' data, or recruiting scammers. Ringleaders of scam centers that engage in human trafficking, detentions, and torture will face prison sentences of up to 20 years and fines of up to $500,000.The passage of the law comes amid widespread condemnation from rights groups and sanctions by governments around the world, with Cambodia accused of being a hotbed of cyberscams. The US Department of State has previously stated that 'official complicity, including at senior levels, inhibited effective law enforcement action against trafficking crimes' in Cambodia, which has denied these allegations.The new law is seen as a significant effort by Cambodia to combat the rise of online fraud, romance, and cryptocurrency scams. Several countries have enacted anti-cyberscam laws to address this issue, with con artists in Singapore facing 24 strokes of the cane in serious cases.Justice Minister Keut Rith emphasized that the law is 'strict like the fishing net' and aims to ensure that online scams do not return to Cambodia. The law is expected to send a strong message to cyberscammers that Cambodia is not a place to conduct scams, and it will serve the interests of the Cambodian nation and people.

Legal groups in Uganda have strongly condemned the arrival of a dozen deportees from the United States, calling the deportation process 'undignified, harrowing and dehumanising'. The Uganda Law Society and the East Africa Law Society have taken the matter to court, seeking relief to halt what they describe as 'patent international illegality'.The deportation marks the first confirmed instance of deportees being transferred from the US to Uganda. The 12 individuals reportedly landed at Entebbe International Airport by private aircraft. No identifying information about the deportees has been provided.The deportation is part of President Donald Trump's efforts to offload immigrants to 'third countries' where they have no personal connections. Uganda is one of several countries that have agreed to accept deported foreigners, including Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan.The deal with Uganda was confirmed by the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs last August, stating it was a 'temporary arrangement' with priority given to deportees from other African countries. Unaccompanied children and people with criminal records are excluded from the deal.Critics have raised concerns about the safety of countries receiving US deportees, citing human rights abuses in Uganda. The US has previously criticised Uganda for 'significant human rights abuses', including extrajudicial killings, life-threatening prison conditions, and torture.The Trump administration has defended the deportations as legal under the US Immigration and Nationality Act, citing diplomatic assurances from 'third countries' that deportees would not face persecution. However, the policy has faced numerous legal challenges, with concerns about immigrants' due process rights.

Eight Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have issued a joint statement strongly condemning Israel's one-sided bill to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks.The countries expressed deep concern over the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, warning of mounting risks amid reports of ongoing abuses, including torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, starvation, and the denial of basic rights.Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed the controversial bill on Monday, a one-sided law that will not impose the same penalty on Jewish Israelis convicted of killings. The law has been criticized by the United Nations and the European Union, but Israel's ally, the United States, came out in support of its sovereign right to determine its own laws.The eight countries also cautioned against measures by Israel that risk further inflaming tensions on the ground, stating that these practices reflect a broader pattern of violations against the Palestinian people.

Iran has been accused of using the ongoing war with Israel and the US to hide a surge in executions, with human rights groups raising concerns about the rapid increase in death sentences being carried out in the country.According to Iran Human Rights, at least 145 people have been confirmed killed in 2026 so far, with an additional 400-plus executions reported but not verified. The surge in executions has been overshadowed by the ongoing conflict, with many fearing that the political cost of these executions is very low due to the focus on oil prices and the war.Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of torture, mock executions, and enforced disappearances in Iranian prisons, with many prisoners facing harsh conditions and denied access to basic necessities like food, water, and medicine.The internet shutdown in Iran has made it impossible to determine the exact number of executions carried out this year, with many death sentences and charges not officially announced. Amnesty International has reported that dozens of protesters are facing the death penalty for their involvement in the January protests.Human rights groups have condemned the use of executions as a means of suppressing dissent in Iran, with Amnesty International's Iran researcher stating that the authorities have deliberately weaponized the death penalty to instill fear among the population.

Israel has recently enacted a law that institutionalizes the execution of Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks. This move is seen as a new phase in Israel's dehumanization of Palestinians, expanding a legal system designed to target and oppress them.The law does not create a new reality but rather enshrines a longstanding policy of using lethal force against Palestinians into law. This reality is already normalized in Israel, where Palestinians have been systematically killed in Gaza and the West Bank, often with near-total impunity.In the months since October 2023, Israel has increased the number of Palestinians in detention to over 10,000, many without trial, and subjected them to conditions that amount to torture. More than 80 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody amid documented abuse and inhumane conditions.This law emerges under a political leadership that openly embraces violence and dehumanization, led by senior government ministers who have built their power on incitement and the normalization of harm against Palestinians. The legislation faces virtually no political opposition and hardly provokes public debate in Israel.Globally, democratic states have been moving away from the death penalty, recognizing it as a violation of fundamental human rights. However, Israel is not an exception but a central driver of the erosion of international law, maintaining systems of lethal violence and oppression against Palestinians.A state that institutionalizes the execution of one population under its control while subjecting them to systemic violence and discrimination is not democratic; it is a system of lethal control. What is happening to Palestinians is already reshaping political and moral boundaries beyond Palestine, including in the US.

Shops, universities and public institutions across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem shuttered on Wednesday as Palestinians launched a coordinated strike to denounce a newly passed Israeli law that makes the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks by military courts. Hundreds gathered in Ramallah, chanting against the legislation championed by far‑right National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir. Demonstrators brandished signs reading “Stop the law to execute prisoners, before it’s too late”, featuring a graphic of a prisoner in a keffiyeh beside a noose. Similar protests unfolded in Nablus, where participants warned that “time is running out,” and in Anata, northeast of Jerusalem’s Old City, where Israeli soldiers compelled striking shop owners to reopen their businesses. The strike was called by President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party the previous day, reflecting widespread anger that “there isn’t a single person here without a brother, husband, son or neighbour in prison,” said 53‑year‑old psychologist Riman, who asked that her surname not be disclosed. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemned the measure, stating that its application to residents of the occupied Palestinian territory would amount to a war crime. According to the AFP, more than 9,500 Palestinians are currently detained in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 73 women. Human‑rights groups on both sides allege detainees suffer torture, starvation and medical neglect, contributing to dozens of deaths. The law, approved by the Knesset late on Monday, stipulates that Palestinians tried in military courts for “terrorism‑related” deadly attacks face capital punishment as the default outcome. Because Palestinians in the West Bank are automatically tried in military courts, the statute creates a separate, harsher legal track compared with Israeli civilians, who face either death or life imprisonment for comparable offenses. While the legislation is not retroactive, critics argue it entrenches a system of unequal justice. Social‑media posts showed tyres burning at the busy Qalandia checkpoint, a key entry point into Israel via Jerusalem. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli forces responded with rubber‑coated bullets, stun grenades and tear‑gas, though no injuries were confirmed. Violence in the West Bank has intensified since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023, a conflict that has claimed over 72,000 lives. The latest law and the ensuing protests underscore the deepening legal and humanitarian rift between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets across the occupied West Bank on Tuesday to voice their opposition to a newly passed Israeli law that allows for the death penalty against Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. The demonstrations, which were staged in several cities including Ramallah, Tubas, Nablus, Jenin, and Hebron, were organized by prisoner advocacy groups. The protests drew a broad crowd, including families of prisoners, senior members of the Fatah party, civil society organizations, trade unions, and women's groups. More than 9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 73 women, with many facing torture, starvation, and medical neglect, leading to dozens of deaths. Israel's Knesset passed the death penalty legislation on Monday evening in a 62-48 vote, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voting in support of the law. The law allows for executions to be carried out by hanging by prison guards appointed by the Israeli Prison Service, with those involved having anonymity and legal immunity. Human rights organizations and Palestinian officials have denounced the law as discriminatory and in breach of international law, as it does not apply equally to Israeli convicts. Amnesty International has called on Israeli authorities to repeal the law, describing it as "a public display of cruelty, discrimination and utter contempt for human rights". The European Union and several countries, including Germany, have also expressed concern over the passage of the legislation, with Germany stating it could "not endorse" the new law and the EU calling on Israel to abide by its previous principled position and obligations under international law.