Israel has adopted a new law making the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks. The law, which passed late on Monday, is expected to be struck down by Israel's Supreme Court following an appeal by rights groups as it breaches an international convention. It mandates execution by hanging over concerns that Israeli doctors may refuse to administer lethal injections. The Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have expressed fears that their jailed relatives could be hanged without due process. Israeli legal experts believe that any executions will not be carried out. The new law would only apply to criminal acts of killing, not retroactively applying to hundreds of Hamas militants.