Israel’s Defense Ministry has ordered the military to transfer civilian law enforcement operations in the West Bank to the Israeli police force, a decision that Palestinian officials and international analysts warn represents a significant escalation toward de facto annexation of the occupied territory. The shift follows controversy over military handling of Israeli settler activities, with Defense Minister Israel Katz stating that police would better manage civilian matters while the army focuses on counterterrorism operations.
Palestinian leadership and political experts contend that replacing military occupation law with civilian police authority fundamentally alters the legal status of the West Bank and erases its distinction as occupied territory under international law. The transfer effectively normalizes Israeli sovereign control over the region, they argue, while placing security operations under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Critics warn this arrangement will empower settler militias and accelerate displacement of Palestinian populations, with some drawing comparisons to historical fascist regimes that employed armed civilian groups to enforce state policies.
The Palestinian Authority and international observers describe the restructuring as a violation of international agreements and a mechanism to legitimize settler violence. Analysts suggest the military’s withdrawal from civilian policing responsibilities removes institutional constraints on settler activity, effectively deputizing these groups as state-sanctioned forces. The dual legal framework created by this arrangement—with different rules applied to Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents—represents what researchers characterize as an apartheid system institutionalizing systematic segregation and discrimination.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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