Global outcry grows as China, UN slam Israel's death penalty law for Palestinians

BEIJING: China on Friday called for the protection of Palestinian rights after Israel approved a controversial law allowing the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks.

Under the legislation passed by Israel’s parliament earlier this week, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted by military courts of attacks classified as “terrorism” could face the death penalty as a default sentence.

Responding to the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the legal rights of the Palestinian people must be respected and protected.

“We also hope relevant parties will cease actions that escalate tensions and exacerbate conflict,” she said at a press briefing, adding that laws should uphold equality and justice and must not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion, nationality or political views.

The move has drawn widespread international criticism, with Benjamin Netanyahu backing the bill.

The United Nations warned that applying the law in occupied Palestinian territories could amount to a war crime.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Qatar, Turkiye and United Arab Emirates also condemned the legislation, calling it a “dangerous escalation” and warning it could further inflame tensions and undermine regional stability.

The European Union echoed similar concerns, while the United States supported Israel’s “sovereign right to determine its own laws,” highlighting growing divisions within the international community over the issue.