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Israeli MPs Set Up Special Tribunal and Allow Death Penalty for Hamas-Led 2023 Attackers

A Knesset vote is held on a bill concerning the prosecution of suspects in the 7 October attack during the opening summer session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
A Knesset vote is held on a bill concerning the prosecution of suspects in the 7 October attack during the opening summer session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
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Israeli MPs Set Up Special Tribunal and Allow Death Penalty for Hamas-Led 2023 Attackers

A Knesset vote is held on a bill concerning the prosecution of suspects in the 7 October attack during the opening summer session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
A Knesset vote is held on a bill concerning the prosecution of suspects in the 7 October attack during the opening summer session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, 11 May 2026. (EPA)

Israeli lawmakers approved a bill on Monday setting up a special tribunal that would try and have the authority to sentence to death Palestinians convicted of taking part in the 2023 Hamas-led attack that triggered the war in Gaza.

The measure passed 93-0 in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament, reflecting widespread support for punishing those found responsible for what was the deadliest attack in Israel’s history. The remaining 27 lawmakers were absent or abstained from voting.

Rights groups have criticized the measure, saying it makes the death penalty too easy to impose while also doing away with procedures safeguarding the right to a fair trial. Defendants can appeal their sentences but the appeals have to be heard by a separate, special appeals court rather than regular appeals courts.

Because the bill empowers a panel of judges to hand down the death penalty by a majority vote — and requires the trials to be conducted in a livestreamed Jerusalem courtroom — it has drawn comparisons to the 1962 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, which was broadcast live on television.

Eichmann was executed by hanging, the last time the death penalty was carried out in Israel, though technically capital punishment remains on the books for acts of genocide, espionage during wartime and certain terror offenses.

Opponents of the bill also say that livestreaming the proceedings before guilt is established risks turning the trials into a spectacle. They have raised questions about the reliability of the evidence that may be presented, saying it could have been extracted by harsh interrogation methods.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages. Israel’s ensuing blistering offensive on Gaza has killed over 72,628 Palestinians, including at least 846 killed since a ceasefire took hold last October.

That's according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says around half the deaths were women and children. The figures by the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.

Israeli forces also killed hundreds of fighters in battles in the coastal enclave and took an unknown number of suspects into Israeli custody where they now await trial.

Simcha Rothman, one of the bill’s sponsors who is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition, said the overwhelming consensus for the bill in the Knesset shows Israeli lawmakers can come together "around a common mission."

Several Israeli rights groups, including Hamoked, Adalah and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, said on Monday that while "justice for the victims of October 7 is a legitimate and urgent imperative," any accountability for the crimes "must be pursued through a process which includes rather than abandons the principles of justice."

The bill is separate from a law passed in March that approved the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a measure harshly condemned by the international community and rights groups as discriminatory and inhumane.

That law applies to future cases and is not retroactive so it could not apply to the October 2023 suspects.

According to the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, the country still holds about 1,300 Palestinians from Gaza without charge in its detention facilities. At least 7,000 Palestinians from Gaza had been held in Israeli custody since October 2023, and 5,000 of them were later released.

The 1,300 number does not include those held on suspicion of attacking Israel on Oct. 7 or involvement in holding the hostages.

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Arab World

Lebanon: Aoun Departs for Washington to Meet Trump

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
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Lebanon: Aoun Departs for Washington to Meet Trump

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday left Beirut for Washington, where he is expected to meet Donald Trump, the Lebanese presidency said, after talks between Lebanon and Israel wrapped up in Italy.

Aoun will hold discussions "with several American officials on the situation in Lebanon and ways to strengthen the ceasefire,” particularly in Lebanon's south, as well as on "the withdrawal of Israel from the Lebanese regions it occupies,” the presidency said.

Meanwhile, the United States has postponed a virtual meeting between Lebanese, Israeli and US military delegations that had been expected on Friday to discuss the first phase of the “pilot zones” plan.

The delay puts the practical rollout of the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel on hold, particularly the pilot zone arrangements, and renews questions over an implementation process that still has no clear timetable.

The technical meeting was agreed during the latest round of negotiations in Rome. It was intended to finalize the first phase mechanism: Israeli forces would withdraw from several pilot zones, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy there under the supervision of the monitoring committee. The plan would then expand in later stages.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington requested the postponement, saying more time was needed to complete technical files, operational plans and implementation procedures.

Arab World

Transport Costs: A Daily Burden Weighing on Khartoum Residents

A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Transport Costs: A Daily Burden Weighing on Khartoum Residents

A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Getting to work, hospital or university in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, has become a test of survival in a city battered by war.

As transport fares rise, incomes fall and unemployment spreads, thousands of families are being forced to choose between commuting and paying for food, medicine and education.

The crisis has deepened as displaced people return to Khartoum and its three cities while services remain limited and the number of operating vehicles falls far short of demand. Higher fuel, spare parts and operating costs have pushed fares up further.

Passengers face long waits, frequent fare changes and shortages of vehicles on several routes. Damaged infrastructure and road closures have altered routes, lengthened journeys and forced many commuters to use more than one vehicle, sharply increasing daily costs.

Official figures reflect the wider economic strain. Gold export revenues reached about $370 million in the first quarter of this year, while fuel imports exceeded $697 million over the same period, highlighting the gap between export earnings and the cost of essential imports as large parts of the economy remain shut by the war.

For bus driver Abdullah Ali, 50, the transport crisis mirrors his personal losses. His bus was stolen when fighting began, and he was wounded by shrapnel in his right hand before fleeing to Gezira state, then Atbara and Shendi.

After returning to Khartoum about six months ago, he began working as a hired driver on a bus he does not own.

Ali told Asharq Al-Awsat that his income barely covered his daily needs and was not enough to renew his driver’s license. Many drivers were also unable to pay licensing and maintenance fees as fuel, oil, tire and spare-parts prices continued to rise, he said.

Moussa al-Safi, a laborer supporting four children, said transport consumed much of his daily income.

“The war has not only raised prices, but also reduced job opportunities,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “A worker pays to travel there and back without any guarantee of finding work or earning money by the end of the day.”

Private-sector employee Sami Abdel Qayoum said he often used more than one vehicle to reach work, taking up a large part of his monthly salary. To save money, he gets off before his destination and walks long distances.

University student Shehab Othman said some students arrived late or missed lectures because they could not afford transport, while others walked long distances to cut daily expenses.

Ezzedine Jaber, a member of the bus union, said short-route fares were about 2,000 Sudanese pounds, while some longer routes cost up to 6,000 pounds. Lower fuel prices were the main way to reduce operating costs and ease the burden on passengers, he said.

The impact extends beyond passenger transport.

“The price of a gallon of diesel has exceeded 40,000 pounds, raising the cost of transporting goods from Port Sudan and production areas to markets and export ports,” economist Mohamed al-Nayer told Asharq Al-Awsat. “That is ultimately reflected in the prices of goods and services.”

In Khartoum, where displaced people and refugees continue to return, transport fares have become part of the cost of survival.

Each increase can mean one less meal for a family, delayed medicine for a patient, a missed lecture for a student or kilometers of walking for a worker trying to protect what remains of their income.

Arab World

Libya’s Zawiya Pays Growing Price for Stray Gunfire

A victim of clashes in Libya’s Zawiya in early May (Emergency Medicine and Support Center)
A victim of clashes in Libya’s Zawiya in early May (Emergency Medicine and Support Center)
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Libya’s Zawiya Pays Growing Price for Stray Gunfire

A victim of clashes in Libya’s Zawiya in early May (Emergency Medicine and Support Center)
A victim of clashes in Libya’s Zawiya in early May (Emergency Medicine and Support Center)

Gunfire tore through a neighborhood near Jazirat al-Muaskar in Libya’s western city of Zawiya after an intoxicated militiaman opened fire on the headquarters of a rival armed group, adding to the blood toll in a city already weighed down by militia violence.

Zawiya, long under the grip of armed factions, has grown used to burying residents killed by stray bullets. The city barely emerges from one round of fighting before another begins, leaving more dead and wounded.

Amjad al-Kilani, known as “al-Zir” and affiliated with the Zawiya-based 103rd Battalion, also known as al-Salla, was seen staggering with a machine gun over his shoulder as he fired indiscriminately toward a base of the al-Far militia, led by Mohammed Bahrun, and at nearby shops.

Witnesses in Zawiya said the clash stemmed from a dispute involving Kilani, who was previously affiliated with the Rabi al-Fanouta militia and runs a business on the coastal road.

After he recently joined al-Far, members of al-Salla, led by Othman al-Lahab, attacked him and forced him out of the market, the witnesses said.

Entrance to the city of Zawiya (from Zawiya-related social media pages)

Libyan businessman Ismail al-Shtaiwi condemned the footage of the intoxicated gunman firing wildly, posting a video of the incident on Facebook.

“No country in the world, no matter how wealthy, can take a single step toward success and stability while drowning in a militia swamp,” Shtaiwi wrote on Friday.

“Stability cannot be achieved, nor can development and economic reform move forward, while the country remains at the mercy of illegal guns and militias that dictate decisions,” he said.

“It is painful and shameful that this criminal and absurd scene continues to be exported to the world, reducing Libya to a state held hostage by chaos, uncontrolled weapons and outlaw gangs, instead of one known for its enormous capabilities, opportunities and resources.”

Shtaiwi said ordinary Libyans were paying the price through restrictions on travel and movement, damage to their image and the erosion of their country’s standing abroad.

“What is also painful and regrettable is that billions are spent every year under the headings of security and defense, while the results are there for everyone to see,” he said.

Violence in Zawiya often flares and then subsides, but only after leaving behind dead and wounded. One question continues to haunt the city: When will the threat from armed groups that endanger lives and drain the country’s resources finally end?

Several young men from Zawiya were killed in armed skirmishes in late May, prompting UN envoy Hanna Tetteh to warn against escalation and call for restraint.

Nasser Ammar, commander of the Support Force within the Tripoli authorities’ Operation Volcano of Rage, said Kilani’s random gunfire and intimidation of civilians while intoxicated was “an insult to the city and its history.”

“Zawiya has never lacked, and will never lack, free men who will not allow a reckless man to violate the sanctity of their homes and property,” Ammar said. “Protecting our people and uprooting this corruption is a duty for every honorable person.”

Security forces near Tripoli following clashes between armed militias (file photo from pages affiliated with security agencies)

Since the overthrow of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has seen a pattern of random or unexplained assassinations, often driven by armed rivalries, militia struggles for influence and revenge for earlier killings.

Local media tracking the violence in Zawiya have counted 62 deaths since the start of this year.

A security source at the Zawiya Security Directorate told Asharq Al-Awsat, however, that the true toll was higher because no official count existed.

Moatasem Ambiya was killed early on Thursday after being shot in the Jodayem area east of Zawiya by people described as “outlaw gunmen,” according to human rights groups.

The National Institution for Human Rights called on the Interior Ministry, the Zawiya Security Directorate, the Criminal Investigation Department and the prosecutor’s office at the Zawiya Court of Appeal to open a full investigation into Ambiya’s killing.

The group expressed “deep concern over the rising rates and indicators of kidnapping, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings in numerous cities, regions and municipalities.”

It blamed what it called “security chaos” caused by the absence of the relevant security authorities.

Like embers beneath the ashes, Zawiya remains on edge, bracing for violence that could erupt at any moment.

The widely shared video of the intoxicated gunman has come to reflect the growing reach of militias, fueling anger among Libyans over the security situation.

With armed groups tightening their grip, bloggers and activists in Zawiya have found little recourse beyond social media hashtags such as “Zawiya Is Bleeding,” “Stop the Killing” and “Enough Silence.”

They hope to make their voices heard by the authorities in Tripoli, whom they accuse of appeasing the city’s armed groups, supporting their presence and inviting their leaders to official gatherings.