Tel aviv: Israeli opposition lawmaker Gilad Kariv has filed a petition with the Supreme Court, challenging a newly approved law that permits the execution of Palestinian prisoners.

According to Anadolu Agency, Kariv, a member of the Democratic Party, announced on the social media platform X that he submitted the petition in cooperation with the Zulat Institute and the group Rabbis for Human Rights. He described the law as "racist and extremist," accusing the far-right Otzma Yehudit, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, of using the legislation as a populist and nationalist election campaign. Kariv criticized the ruling Likud party under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for moving further to the right and condemned the religious Shas party, led by Aryeh Deri, for compromising its values.

Kariv argued that the legislation endangers commanders in the Israeli Defense Forces and the Prison Service, while also damaging Israel's international reputation. He hopes the Knesset and government legal advisers will advocate for the law's repeal or for significant amendments to its clauses. The Supreme Court has the authority to invalidate Knesset-passed laws if they are inconsistent with Israel's Basic Laws.

Adalah, a legal rights group, along with Arab lawmakers in the Knesset, previously filed a petition on March 31 challenging the law, prompting the court to request a government response. During the judicial review, the law cannot be enforced. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel also filed a petition against the law last week.

On March 30, the Knesset approved the death penalty law with 62 votes in favor, 48 against, and one abstention, amid right-wing parties' celebrations. Adalah director Hassan Jabareen clarified that the law would not apply retroactively to current Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The legislation targets those accused of deliberately killing Israelis, potentially affecting up to 117 prisoners serving life sentences.

Currently, more than 9,500 Palestinians, including 350 children and 73 women, are detained in Israeli prisons, where they reportedly face abuse, starvation, and medical neglect, as documented by Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.