Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that he had instructed the military to prepare a plan aimed at “transferring all powers related to maintaining order” involving settlers in the occupied West Bank to the police, following criticism from far-right groups of the army’s attempt to remove settlers who have been surrounding Palestinian homes in the town of Qusra.
If implemented, the move could represent another step toward Israel’s annexation of the Palestinian territories it has occupied since 1967—an objective advocated by Israeli officials and politicians aligned with the far right.
The announcement comes nearly a week after settlers began surrounding homes in Qusra in the northern West Bank, with residents saying the blockade prevented them from obtaining supplies. Despite attempts by the army to remove the settlers, they returned to the area several times.
On Friday, Israeli activists managed to deliver food supplies to Palestinians, while the army once again deployed forces in the area.
Katz said that “all powers related to enforcing civil laws and maintaining public order will be transferred to the police.”
In an apparent reference to the settlers surrounding Qusra, Katz stressed that the army’s role was not to “chase young people on the hills,” while the military would remain responsible for dealing with Palestinians in the West Bank.
However, Israeli media ruled out the approval of his plan before the legislative elections scheduled for October 27.
The settlers’ blockade of homes in Qusra has drawn unusually strong criticism from Washington. On Thursday, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who is considered one of the settlers’ strongest supporters, criticized their actions, saying that “there is no justification for this kind of bullying behavior.”
Israeli settlers have carried out violence against Palestinians in the West Bank for years, often with little legal consequence. Violence in the West Bank has escalated since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, particularly attacks by settlers against Palestinians, which have become almost daily occurrences.
The settlements in the West Bank, where around three million Palestinians live, are considered illegal under international law. The settler population is currently estimated at around 500,000, excluding more than 200,000 settlers living in occupied East Jerusalem.
AFP
