London, 19th June 2026 – ICJP and the Red Ribbons Campaign hosted the Together Against the Death Penalty panel at SOAS University of London, today.
Moderated by Mathilda Mallinson (Middle East Eye), the panel consisted of Tayab Ali (ICJP and human rights lawyer), Dr Mustafa Barghouti (Palestinian physician and activist), Saif Abu Keshek (Spanish-Palestinianactivist and Gaza Sumud Flotilla leader), Khaled Mahajna (Palestinian lawyer and activist) and Catríona Graham (Irish activist and flotilla member).
The event brought together eyewitnesses, frontline legal defenders, and human rights activists to expose and discuss the harrowing realities inside Israeli detention centres and outline how we can collectively organise to protect Palestinian prisoners and hostages who face repeated abuse, rape, and torture in Israeli detention.
In March 2026, Israel passed its death penalty law which exclusively targets Palestinians. Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spearheaded the law, celebrated its passage through parliament by opening bottles of champagne in the Knesset.
While these scenes are unthinkably Orwellian, they have become increasingly normalised in Israeli society and further explain the discriminatory and oppressive Israeli regime that has now adopted the death penalty bill for Palestinians.
Following the bill’s passage through the Knesset, ICJP submitted recommendations for sanctions against sixty-two Israeli parliamentarians and lawmakers directly responsible for passing and adopting the death penalty bill, to the Secretary of State for the FCDO.
The panel discussed the many political conditions that have contributed to the passing of the death penalty law, with Dr Mustafa Barghouti noting the prevalence of fascism in Israeli politics which is rapidly increasing and pointed to the majority of Israeli lawmakers voting in favour of the Israeli death penalty bill.
Stressing the criticality of the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 Advisory Opinion which determined the unlawfulness of Israeli settlements, Tayab Ali said: “An ICJ advisory opinion is not advice – it is the most senior court in the world determining the law” and added that such a ruling gives Israel no authority in administering laws in occupied Palestinian territory, including the egregious death penalty law.
Khaled Mahajna spoke of his experiences of visiting Palestinian detainees in Israeli military camps and shared testimony of the brutal conditions of detainees who frequently experience beatings, torture, and rape inside Israeli detention.
Many of Mahajna’s testimonies were graphic and harrowing accounts of amputations, rapes, and killings of Palestinian detainees by Israeli soldiers. While these crimes have been ongoing for decades, the death penalty law is now an additional weapon in Israel’s toolkit to oppress and ethnically cleanse Palestinians.
Saif Abu Keshek shared his recent experiences from the flotilla in Israeli detention and stressed that Israel’s pushing of propaganda will not stop people from mobilising. Catríona Graham also noted the double gendered standards in response to violence by Israeli forces, noting the difference between the international outrage to a viral video of her confronting Ben-Gvir in Israeli detention and those of countless videos of Palestinian men being beaten and tortured by Israeli officials that are frequently ignored by western governments.
Tayab Ali, ICJP’s Director, said:
“While many will say we are not winning this fight, I put to them instead that the response we are seeing is because we are winning. Week in and week out people across the globe continue to march for Palestine, social media is awash with real-time testimonies of genocide, and the fact that governments like the UK are starting to designate direct action protests as terrorism is a sign that the tide is turning.
But the fight is ongoing, and the time for western governments to stall their complicity is running out. If they are serious about their so-called commitments to international law, then these governments have to join this fight and hold Israel to account.
Tonight’s event highlighted the expertise and persistent work of people from different fields who work day in, day out to protect Palestinian rights, which is exactly why ICJP will continue to record, document, and submit Palestinian testimonies to expose the egregious crimes of Israel.”
To view a recording of the event, click here
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].
