Summary Executions of Palestinians: The New Normal for Israel

Jenin, Nov 30, 2025

For Israeli secret service and special units, the option of summary execution of suspected terrorists was always there. Targeted killings had been under the auspices of Mossad and Shin Beit, however, the IDF has increasingly been given the green light for assignations (Bergman 2019). The killing of prominent Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 by the Duvdevnan unit had drawn international condemnation and investigation by the international criminal court but without any consequences to the perpetrators.

If labelled a Palestinian terrorist, anyone could be disposed of. In the past decade, the ‘terrorists’ label has been thrown at Palestinian non-violent activists, BDS supporters and children. The execution of lightly armed Palestinian teens during the 2015/16 Children’s Intifada was encouraged by Israeli politicians for any armed vigilante Israeli.

After October 7th, executions were justified for Palestinian humanitarian workers, journalists and their families and indeed for any Palestinian living in Gaza. The execution of Palestinians by IDF can now be witnessed anywhere, whether in Gaza or the West Bank with full impunity and no consequence. Has the genocide of Gaza and military occupation in the West Bank been replaced by daily executions of Palestinians? Is this now the new normal?