May 12 (UPI) -- Israel's Knesset unanimously passed a death penalty law for Palestinians found guilty of genocide in the Oct. 7 attacks on the country.
Lawmakers on Monday voted 93-0 for the legislation, which also establishes a special military court to try about 300 suspects alleged to have been involved and were detained by security forces inside Israel.
More than a fifth of Knesset Members either abstained or were absent and the debate prior to the vote was marked by tumult, with one Israeli-Arab lawmaker accusing backers of the bill of "politically exploiting" the pain of bereaved families and the removal of some people the public gallery following noisy interruptions.
The tribunal is authorized to prosecute suspects with a range of crimes, up to and including genocide as defined by Israel's 1950 Law for the Prevention of Genocide, and hand down the death penalty to defendants convicted of genocide. Any person suspected of, charged or found guilty of Oct. 7 offenses will be ineligible for prisoner swap or release schemes.
The court on a dedicated site will have a staff of 400, including 15 senior judges, either qualified to serve on the Supreme Court or who are international jurists with cases heard by three or five judges. Appeals would be heard by all 15 judges.
