Yesterday, Monday, the Palestinian Presidency condemned the Israeli Knesset’s adoption of a law that makes the death penalty the automatic sentence for Palestinians convicted by military courts of killing Israelis. It considered that this law constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention, with its protection of persons and guarantees of a fair trial, and its violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Presidency confirmed, in a statement, that this law “is considered a war crime against the Palestinian people, and comes in the context of the escalatory policies and measures pursued by the occupation authorities in all Palestinian territories, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” according to the Palestinian News Agency. The Palestinian Presidency appreciated the statement issued by a number of European countries calling on Israel to abandon the draft “execution of Palestinian prisoners” law, calling on the international community to “assume its legal and humanitarian responsibilities, and take a serious and real stance to stop these violations.” The presidency also warned of "the dangerous repercussions of such racist laws, which would increase tension and escalation, and threaten the chances of achieving security and stability in the region." For its part, Egypt condemned the Knesset’s approval of the law to execute Palestinian prisoners, considering that this step represents a dangerous and unprecedented escalation and a flagrant violation of the rules of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, in addition to undermining the basic guarantees of a fair trial.