After the Israeli Knesset passed a law to execute Palestinian prisoners, Renan Salhi is grappling with her fears over the fate of her imprisoned husband, Islam Hamed.
Families of Palestinian prisoners have been living in constant anxiety for almost a month, fearing for the fate of their children after the approval of a law to execute Palestinian prisoners who are proven to have killed Israeli soldiers or settlers .
The so-called "Law to Execute Prisoners" was passed in the Israeli Knesset on 30 March 2026, after its second and third readings.
The law grants Israeli courts the authority to impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners on specific charges, particularly those classified as nationalistically motivated attacks.
The move has sparked widespread controversy and legal and human rights objections both locally and internationally.
Hamed, 41, from the town of Silwad, east of Ramallah, was arrested in 2015 and sentenced by Israel to 21 years in prison for allegedly shooting at settlers and Israeli soldiers.
Renan's fears stem not only from the passage of the law itself, but also from the dire conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the cessation of family visits since October 2023.
She told The New Arab that the families of prisoners are already struggling, and this law only exacerbates their anxieties and deepens their apprehension.
"We understood from the lawyers that the law wouldn't be applied retroactively, but this is a hateful occupation, and they can amend the law at any time to include current prisoners," she added.
As Renan stated, Israeli racism in dealing with the prisoners' issue is evident in this law, which will be applied only against Palestinians.
Khattab, 13, the eldest son of Islam and Renan, tries daily to inquire with his mother about the details of this law, fearing for his father. Meanwhile, twins Khadija and Muhammad, 4, conceived through sperm smuggled from inside the prison and never seen by their father, constantly ask about him.
"It's as if he lives in his children's hearts. They place an empty chair for him at the dinner table, and sometimes Khadija talks to him as if he were there. They talk to his picture, telling him about their day and their friends… This is the suffering endured by the children of more than 9,000 Palestinian prisoners ," Renan expressed.
Hamed has been in solitary confinement for two and a half years and has been subjected to physical torture, beatings, and attacks by police dogs. Who will it apply to? The law allows a sentence to be imposed without requiring a unanimous decision by the judges or a request from the prosecution. It mandates that the death penalty be carried out by hanging within approximately 90 days of the final verdict, with significantly reduced possibilities for appeal or pardon.
Lawyer Khaled Mahajneh told TNA that the law will not be applied retroactively to Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons, even if they are still detained without trial.
This also means that the law will not affect prisoners serving life sentences for the killing of Israelis, but it will apply to any Palestinian arrested on murder charges after the law's enactment on 30 March.
However, there is one exception concerning the prisoners from the "elite" unit in the Gaza Strip, who are accused of participating in the 7 October operation. A special law will most likely be enacted specifically for them, explicitly stipulating the death penalty. This is the only instance where the law will be applied retroactively.
"There is another law being drafted in the Knesset regarding these prisoners. It will be voted on in the relevant committees of the Knesset plenum and has not yet been voted on by the members of parliament, but it will most likely be approved," he said.
The "elite prisoners" are estimated to be between 300 and 400 from the Gaza Strip. They were arrested on 7 October within the settlements surrounding Gaza and will have special courts, unlike the usual difficulties faced by Palestinian prisoners.
According to Mahajneh, most of these prisoners are held in an underground prison called "Rakeft," where they receive no visits whatsoever. No one knows their fate, who has died, or who remains alive.
Dozens of Lebanese detainees, whom Israel claims are members of the Radwan Unit, are also held in these prisons, their fate unknown, as they are completely isolated from the outside world.
"Unfortunately, their fate is sealed. A separate law will be drafted specifically for them, and they will be tried in a special court without evidence, without witnesses, without appeals, and without proof," the lawyer explained.
Regarding the current prisoners, whether those serving life sentences or those awaiting trial, Mahajneh emphasised that everything is subject to change and nothing is "sacred" or immutable in Israel. The law could be amended later, making it either worse or less harsh. Fear of the future Palestinians generally believe that enacting this law threatens a significant segment of Palestinian society. They argue that Israel, through its daily arrest campaigns in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem, and even the Gaza Strip , can fabricate any charges it wants against detainees and could easily subject them to such a law in the future.
Amani Sarahneh, spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners Club, told TNA that the fear among the families of prisoners persists even if the law is not applied retroactively, because Palestinians live under occupation in an environment of daily arrests.
"If the law takes effect immediately upon its enactment, it means that thousands will be arrested in the future and will be subject to this law, particularly those who carry out or participate in killings," she explained.
Sarahneh stated that the law poses a danger to all Palestinians because it constitutes one of the tools of genocide employed by Israel. It should be understood as one of the processes of erasure, and every Palestinian should be aware of its threat.
"Given the horrific racism we are experiencing, there could be amendments to the law, and thus it could include current prisoners. We must read the law more broadly and with greater implications regarding the genocide the Palestinian people are facing," she explained.
It is a law for the de facto execution of Palestinians , not just prisoners. It is an execution of the future and of any Palestinian who might have the right to resist the occupation, she argued.
More than 9,500 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 86 women and 350 children. Among them are 115 prisoners serving life sentences.