Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has passed a bill imposing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks in military courts.
Although the death penalty already exists in Israel, it was not enforced. The proposed bill changes that, putting Israel at odds with the general trend toward abolishing the death penalty.
According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, a total of 113 countries have completely abolished the death penalty.
There are also countries that have abolished it for ordinary crimes but can still impose it, for example, in the context of military justice. In other countries, a moratorium on the death penalty is in effect.
In 2024, based on Amnesty's latest annual report, more than 2,000 death sentences were handed down in 46 countries. There are significant regional differences: In Europe and Central Asia, only Belarus imposed the death penalty — and even then, in just one case. In North and South America, it was only the United States, which imposed 26 death penalties, and Trinidad and Tobago, which imposed one.
