Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz has ordered the military to develop plans for transferring law enforcement responsibilities for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank to the police. The announcement came amid criticism of the military’s handling of a settler siege in the Palestinian village of Qusra, where armed militants have been attempting to drive out Palestinian residents.
Palestinian officials characterized the proposal as a major violation of international law. Hussein al-Sheikh, Palestine’s vice-president, called for international intervention and described the move as a step toward formal Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory. Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard noted that such a transfer could constitute a significant development toward annexation, though he also indicated that expanding police powers under the current occupation framework may be legally permissible.
The announcement coincided with broader escalations in the occupied West Bank, including a surge in attacks against Palestinians and expansion of Israeli settlements. Katz also presided over a ceremony marking the re-establishment of a settlement that had been evacuated in 2005. According to Israeli rights group B’tselem, forcible displacement of Palestinian communities has accelerated significantly, with entire communities and partial communities displaced since October 2023, affecting nearly 5,000 people.
The situation in Qusra has drawn international attention, with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee describing the settlers besieging Palestinian homes as terrorists and calling for their removal. However, military operations to address the siege have been unsuccessful, and in one instance, soldiers reportedly forced a Palestinian family from their home to use it as a base for the operation. On Friday, gunfire was also directed at unarmed Israeli and Palestinian activists attempting to reclaim Palestinian land near Jerusalem, with the attack caught on video.
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