Israel approved the establishment of a special military tribunal to try Palestinians accused of participating in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel earlier this month, and will give the body the power to impose the death penalty.But analysts, campaigners, and international organisations – including the United Nations – have all questioned whether there will be any real justice delivered by the tribunal, and instead consider it a way of seeking revenge on imprisoned Palestinians.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe impact of the October 7 attack, in which 1,139 were killed and 250 abducted, was amplified in Israel through endless repetition of videos of the attack.Al Jazeera’s own investigation unit has found that stories of atrocities committed on October 7 – some of the false – were used to justify the genocide launched on Gaza after the attack, which has so far killed more than 72,600 Palestinians.Some Israeli parliamentarians have made their positions clear on what they hope will be the result of the televised trials of an estimated 300 detained Palestinians.Many of those detained are civilians, human rights groups say, including prominent figures like hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya. Palestinian detainees have also been physically abused and raped, with dozens dying in Israeli prisons.According to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, one of the co-sponsors of the bill that established the tribunal, the legislation was “one of the most important moments of the current Knesset [parliament]”.“One can feel that we are doing the right thing by finding a way to unite at this moment, even though we are on the eve of elections and despite all the disagreements that exist,” Levin …
