Israel passes death penalty law for Palestinians convicted of terrorism

[0:00] we have breaking news. The IDF is issuing an evacuation warning to residents in Beirut. [0:05] It's giving residents one hour to leave before they start striking, saying it's targeting Hezbollah [0:09] sites. Meanwhile, Israel says it'll establish a security zone inside southern Lebanon and keep [0:14] more than 600,000 people from returning to their homes. The Israeli defense minister announced [0:19] this morning the IDF will control the entire area up to the Latani River. He says all the homes [0:24] there will be demolished and that the IDF is aiming for the complete destruction of Rafah [0:29] and Beit Hanoun in Gaza. Let's bring in Chief Foreign Correspondent Ian Pannell for more on all [0:34] this. Ian, how significant is this announcement? I think it's very significant. I mean, what it [0:38] shows is that this isn't just a short-term limited ground operation by the Israeli defense forces. [0:45] This is far larger in its scale and it seems to be mirroring, as Defense Minister Katz said there, [0:51] some of the operations that took place in Gaza. They will be demolishing homes. They'll be [0:56] leveling the ground near the border. As you said, [0:59] 600,000 people have been driven out of their homes and they're not going to be allowed to [1:03] return back until the Israeli defense forces, until the Israeli government is confident that [1:09] Hezbollah has been neutered. Of course, this is something that they've tried before, [1:14] unsuccessfully so, although they've managed to diminish their offensive capabilities. They've [1:18] taken out leadership. Sounds familiar, right? Hezbollah was certainly able to regroup and [1:25] launch attacks again, which we're seeing daily attacks from Lebanon, [1:29] into Israel by the Iranian proxy group. So what this actually looks like when they talk about [1:35] having this security area is it's an invasion and it's occupation of the land. Now, it may not be [1:43] a never-ending occupation, but for now, at least, that's certainly what it is. [1:50] The UN Refugee Agency says more than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon. What [1:54] happens to them now? A very good question. I mean, it's a huge crisis inside the country. [2:01] At a very difficult time economically anyway for Lebanon. And remember, this is not the first [2:07] war conducted by Israel against Hezbollah. Again, we saw large-scale destruction, massive [2:13] displacement. I've been to some of those IDP camps, internally displaced people camps. [2:18] They're miserable places. The living conditions are tough. People rely on handouts. Children [2:24] aren't going to school. It's no kind of either sanitary living conditions, [2:31] not ones that offer any kind of privacy or human decency. So, of course, refugee agencies, [2:36] local agencies, the local population, relatives are all kind of chipping in to try and help. [2:42] But the numbers are simply overwhelming. And all the while, you've got this ongoing bombing [2:48] campaign by the Israelis. As you say, this has been the second warning to residents in certain [2:54] parts of Beirut to leave their homes, given just one hour to get out before the bombing starts. [3:00] Meanwhile, Ian, Israel, [3:01] will now mandate the hanging of Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in terror attacks. [3:06] Israel's deputy speaker calls this a change in the direction, in the right direction, [3:12] in the fight against terrorism. But human rights groups are calling this discriminatory. [3:16] It applies differently to Jewish people. They're asking Israel's Supreme Court to strike it down. [3:22] What does this new law mean for Palestinians and Israelis? [3:25] Yes, it's not specifically designed differently for Jewish people necessarily. It's designed [3:30] differently for Palestinians. [3:31] And Israelis. But it won't automatically apply to Israeli extremists who, for example, [3:38] say they kill Palestinians in similar circumstances. And we've seen examples of that [3:43] among some extremists in the West Bank. Instead, Israeli citizens will be given [3:49] the option of life imprisonment. And we've seen this longstanding campaign by Israel's [3:54] far-right parties to try and increase punishment for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis. [4:00] Prime Minister Netanyahu, [4:01] who is one of those who was in Parliament voting for this legislation, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, [4:07] saying it's unconstitutional and discriminatory. And it's also drawn strong criticism from Arab and [4:13] Palestinian groups, basically saying this is racist legislation that furthers this legal apartheid [4:19] against Palestinians. Now, it's not necessarily the end of the process. There will be appeals in [4:24] Israeli Supreme Court. And we have to wait and see whether it's held up or not. [4:29] What's the likelihood the Supreme Court strikes this down? [4:31] Well, I think it's going to be under a lot of pressure from a lot of different groups. It's not [4:35] just Arab groups, civil rights groups, others, you know, who oppose this will also be pushing [4:41] cases inside Israel's Supreme Court. I mean, it's worth just reflecting back that Israel has only [4:48] used this kind of punishment, or the last time it used it was in 1962 against Adolf Eichmann, [4:55] who was the architect of the Holocaust, although it's technically had the ability on its [5:00] legislation to kill Palestinians. So, I think it's going to be under a lot of pressure from a lot of different groups. [5:00] I think it's going to be under a lot of pressure from a lot of different groups. It's not just Arab groups, [5:01] it's going to be under a lot of pressure from a lot of different groups. It's not just Arab groups, [5:01] it's going to be under a lot of different groups. It's not just Arab groups, it's going to carry out death by [5:02] it's going to carry out death by hanging. It's not something that it has done. So, I think this is [5:06] seen as a great victory for the far right and another blow to liberalism in the country. [5:11] All right, Ian Pannell, thank you.