General Secretariat statement on Israeli occupying authorities’ announcement of plans to establish a facility for executing Palestinian prisoners

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States is following with grave concern and strong condemnation the dangerous developments arising from the announcement by the Israeli occupying authorities, through their National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, of the commencement of construction of a facility designated for carrying out death sentences against Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation prisons, including preparations for a section for those sentenced to death and viewing rooms for the families of those whom the occupation authorities refer to as “victims”.

This step represents a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in violations of the rights of Palestinian prisoners and constitutes a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and its Additional Protocols, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which categorically prohibit the application of the death penalty in occupied territories and affirm the protection of prisoners and detainees against any inhuman or arbitrary treatment.

The General Secretariat considers that the enactment of the so-called “Death Penalty for Terrorists Law” in March 2026, followed now by preparations for the infrastructure required for its implementation, forms part of a systematic policy aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause and the rights of its people, and turning Israeli prisons into venues for executions, in flagrant violation of the principles of justice and international law.

The League of Arab States holds the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for any consequences arising from these criminal policies and warns that proceeding with the implementation of such sentences would constitute a war crime warranting international accountability.

The General Secretariat calls on the international community, foremost the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, the Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, to fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities and take immediate and decisive action to halt these practices, provide international protection for Palestinian prisoners, and hold Israeli officials accountable for these violations.