JERUSALEM — Israel's parliament passed a law approving the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. The law makes death by hanging the default punishment for murderers who kill with the intent to deny the existence of the State of Israel.

The law gives Israeli courts the authority to impose either the death penalty or life imprisonment on Israeli citizens convicted of nationalistic killings. The law will apply only to future cases and will not apply retroactively. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in person in favor of the bill in the Knesset.

Under the new law, the death penalty will be administered by military courts that almost exclusively try Palestinians and have a 96% conviction rate, according to B'Tselem. The legislation calls for the death penalty to go into effect within 30 days.

Far-right supporters celebrated by popping champagne corks as the death penalty law cleared the Knesset.

Australia, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement voicing concerns over the law's de facto discriminatory character.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the measure is a particularly egregious violation of international law and warned that its application to residents of the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip would constitute a war crime.

Micah Avni, whose father Richard Avni was murdered by a Palestinian militant about a decade ago, supported the law. A Palestinian militant who murdered Richard Avni was released from an Israeli prison as part of an exchange for Israelis taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attacks.

"I wish it had been in place earlier and I'm glad it's in place now. That terrorist who murdered my father showed absolutely no remorse. I'm quite certain, based on the statistics, that he's out there planning his next terror attack," Avni said in a phone call.

Mustafa Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Initiative party, criticized the legislation. "This sends another message to Palestinians that there is no place for compromise. This will not deter Palestinians but it will enhance their struggle for freedom from this oppressive system," Barghouti said.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States respects Israel's sovereign right to determine its own laws and trusts that any such measures will be carried out with a fair trial and respect for all applicable fair trial guarantees and protections.