The Knesset plenum approved in its first reading a bill regulating the prosecution of terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre overnight on Tuesday.
The legislation passed without a single opposing vote.
The bill was submitted by MK Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionist Party and MK Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beytenu, and stipulates that terrorists charged or convicted under the law will not be eligible for release as part of diplomatic or political negotiations.
Rothman and Malinovsky presented the bill to the plenum, where 19 Knesset members voted in favor and none opposed.
Under the proposal, indictments will be filed in a military court authorized to adjudicate offenses under any law, including severe crimes such as genocide, violation of state sovereignty, causing war, aiding the enemy, and terror offenses.
Knesset passes bill on prosecuting 10/7 terrorists
In light of the evidentiary complexity and the scale of the atrocities committed on October 7, the bill permits deviations from standard procedural rules to clarify the true events while maintaining the fairness of the proceedings.
The legislation would also permit the court to impose the death penalty on terrorists.
The bill explicitly bars defendants or convicts prosecuted under its provisions from being included in any future decisions on the release of terrorists as part of diplomatic negotiations.
It further establishes a steering committee, chaired by the prime minister and including the ministers of justice, defense, and foreign affairs, to set prosecution policy.
In addition, the proposal calls for a special judicial panel, with each panel including a retired district court judge. It applies the procedural and evidentiary rules used in civilian courts, while allowing for specific exceptions to be detailed in an appendix and granting the court authority to deviate from them in exceptional cases. The bill also mandates that the hearings be public, broadcast, and fully documented.
Finally, the legislation seeks to regulate legal representation for defendants, reiterate that participants in the massacre will not be included in prisoner-release decisions, and establish a political steering team to accompany the proceedings.