Abu Al-Hummos: “Knesset's approval of the bill targeting the so-called ‘illegal combatants’ is a scandalous crime”
Abu Al-Hummos: “Knesset's approval of the bill targeting the so-called ‘illegal combatants’ is a scandalous crime”
August 4, 2025
Raed Abu Al-Hummos, Head of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, called on for international parliaments, legal institutions, and human rights organizations to condemn and reject the Israeli legislation that authorizes the arrest and detention of Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip, individuals who continue to face brutal crimes committed by the Israeli military and prison authorities.
Abu Al-Hummos stated, “For 22 consecutive months, Palestinians from across the Gaza Strip have been subjected to arbitrary arrest, systematic beatings, torture, and abuse that, in many cases, amount to execution. They are transferred from one military camp to another, from prison to prison, enduring relentless violations that are both inhumane and degrading. The occupation authorities label them as ‘illegal combatants’, as if they were foreigners who had crossed into the country from East Asia or Africa, captured at the border.”
He continued, “The Israeli Knesset, now controlled by far-right and extremist factions, is actively legalizing the detention of Palestinian civilians from Gaza. This legislation gives Israeli authorities the green light to hold detainees indefinitely without charges, without due process, and without access to legal representation. It is justified under the pretext of a so-called ‘exceptional law,’ stripping detainees of their most basic rights, including the right to be informed of the reason for their detention and the associated legal protections.”
Abu Al-Hummos pointed out that the Knesset’s general assembly recently passed this bill, targeting Palestinians arrested from Gaza since the outbreak of the war of extermination on October 7, 2023, through its second and third readings. The law was approved by a vote of 30 in favor and 6 against, out of 120 members, allowing it to take immediate effect under Israeli legislation.
He stressed that such practices and legal measures reflect utter contempt for international legal, parliamentary, and human rights systems. He called for the mobilization of all available legal mechanisms and the unification of global efforts to confront and halt this dangerous erosion of international norms.
