Israel ends administrative detention for settlers as tensions rise in West Bank

11/26/2024 / By Richard Brown

The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on Nov. 22 that it will no longer be holding illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank under “administrative detention.”

The policy of administrative detention has long been criticized by Palestinians and international rights groups due to how Israel uses it to unlawfully imprison Palestinians.

In his statement, newly appointed Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz explained, “In a reality where Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria [West Bank] face serious Palestinian terror threats and settlers are subjected to unjustified international sanctions, it is not appropriate for Israel to take such a severe measure against the people of the settlements.”

Katz further emphasized that if criminal activity is suspected, perpetrators could be prosecuted through legal channels, and other preventive measures could be taken instead of resorting to administrative detention.

Katz also condemned “any acts of violence against Palestinians and taking the law into one’s own hands” and called on settlement leaders to adopt a similar stance, expressing a clear and unequivocal position on the matter. (Related: Israeli leader celebrates Trump victory, says Israel now has “opportunity” to annex occupied West Bank.)

Administrative detention policy mostly used against Palestinians

The administrative detention policy has primarily targeted Palestinians, though it has occasionally been applied to extremist Israeli settlers. The policy will still apply to Palestinians suspected by Israeli occupation authorities of committing crimes.

The policy allows individuals to be detained without charge for up to six months, with the possibility of indefinite renewals. It is frequently used against Palestinian minors, with a report from Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) revealing that the number of Palestinian children in Israeli administrative detention has nearly quadrupled since last year, reaching 85 as of Sept. 30. These minors now account for 35 percent of all Palestinian children held in Israeli military detention, according to DCIP.

DCIP Accountability Program Director Ayed Abu Eqtaish described the situation, stating: “Israeli forces are arbitrarily detaining Palestinian children without charge or trial at a rate we have never seen before.”

Israeli forces continue to conduct military operations across the occupied West Bank, resulting in widespread destruction and casualties. For instance, after a two-day military operation in the city of Jenin, Israeli forces left significant damage to infrastructure and property, as well as at least eight Palestinians dead and 19 injured.

Resistance groups in the West Bank have ramped up their activities in response to ongoing violence and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Palestinian fighters have carried out attacks against Israeli military checkpoints and settlements.

On Nov. 22, the Tulkarem branch of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement’s military wing, the Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for detonating a heavy explosive against an Israeli military vehicle in Anabta, east of Tulkarem, and firing volleys of bullets at military vehicles.

This follows a report by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who cited a well-informed Washington official claiming that Israel is set to officially annex the West Bank, a territory it illegally occupied in 1967. Hersh wrote in his Nov. 20 Substack article that the Israeli leadership plans to take this step within the next two weeks, hoping it will put an end to discussions of a two-state solution and persuade some in the Arab world to reconsider funding the reconstruction of Gaza.

Watch this video showing a recent attack on an Israeli military checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.

This video is from the FreePalestineTV channel on Brighteon.com.