Palestinian Prisoner’s Day highlights Israel's detention policies and new law

On April 17 each year, Palestinian Prisoner’s Day is commemorated to remember the plight of thousands of men, women, and children held in Israeli prisons. This year’s observance is marked by Israel’s new death penalty law, which targets Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. Rights groups have labeled the measure a violation of international law, with the United Nations human rights chief calling it a possible “war crime.”

As of early April, over 9,600 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons, with 3,532 being held under administrative detention without charge or trial. The Palestinian National Council designated April 17 as Palestinian Prisoner’s Day in 1974, serving as a day of solidarity against Israel’s continued occupation. The new law, approved on March 30, allows military courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis, while not applying the same penalty to Jewish Israelis.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the law as “a war crime against the Palestinian people,” asserting it violates the Fourth Geneva Convention. The rights group B’Tselem noted that the conviction rate for Palestinians in military courts is about 96 percent, raising concerns about the fairness of trials. Israel's detention policies have affected Palestinian life for decades, with an estimated one million Palestinians detained since 1967, leading to widespread trauma and resentment within communities.

The new law reinforces existing legal inequalities, as it applies solely to Palestinians and not to Jewish citizens. This situation exposes the systemic nature of Israel's policies, which many view as a deliberate tool of control over the Palestinian population.

What to watch: The implementation of the new death penalty law and its impact on Palestinian communities and international reactions.