China calls for protection of Palestinian rights after Israeli death penalty bill

Beijing: China on Friday urged that the rights of Palestinians be safeguarded after Israel approved legislation allowing the execution of Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks.

Under the new law, which was passed by Israel’s parliament on Monday, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank who are convicted by military courts of carrying out deadly attacks classified as terrorism will face the death penalty as the default punishment.

Responding to a question about the bill at a regular press briefing on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the measure should be viewed in light of legal protections and broader regional tensions.

The legal rights of the Palestinian people should be respected and protected,

Mao said.

We also hope relevant parties will cease actions that escalate tensions and exacerbate conflict,

she added, without naming Israel.

Mao also said China’s position was that legislation should conform to basic legal standards and should not be discriminatory.

China believes that any law should fulfil legal principles such as equality and justice and should not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion or nationality or political views,

she said.

The Israeli bill has drawn criticism from a number of countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the legislation.

The United Nations said on Tuesday that if the new law were applied in occupied Palestinian territory, it would amount to a war crime.

Separately, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Qatar, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates condemned the bill in a joint statement issued on Thursday.

This legislation constitutes a dangerous escalation, particularly given its discriminatory application against Palestinian prisoners, and stressed that such measures risk further exacerbating tensions and undermining regional stability,

the statement said.

The European Union also criticised the legislation. In contrast, the United States supported what it described as Israel’s sovereign right to decide its own laws.

International reaction

The developments have added to international concern over the implications of the law, particularly because it applies to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank tried in military courts. China’s remarks, the UN’s warning, and the joint statement by several Muslim-majority countries all pointed to fears that the measure could deepen tensions.

The latest criticism came after Israel’s parliament approved the bill earlier this week, setting off a wave of diplomatic responses from governments and international organisations.