IDF postpones Palestinian terror arrests as forces diverted to fight West Bank extremism - report

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been forced to cancel and postpone the arrest of Palestinians suspected of terrorism as its forces are being diverted to address rising settler extremism in the West Bank. Army Radio reported on Sunday that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) requested these arrests, but the IDF responded that it is "unable" to apprehend all the wanted suspects.

The IDF stated that it operates based on the assessment of the situation and changing operational considerations, prioritizing and allocating its forces to various missions accordingly. This development follows a significant increase in settler violence against Palestinians in recent months. The most recent incident involved dozens of settler extremists clashing with the IDF near the Palestinian village of Kusra after the military evacuated an outpost.

In response to the escalating situation, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday his instruction for the IDF to prepare a plan to transfer all civilian enforcement authority for Israeli communities and residents in the West Bank to the Israel Police. Katz stated that the IDF's primary role should be fighting Palestinian terrorism and defending borders, while civilian matters and law and order should fall under police jurisdiction. However, a senior police official criticized Katz's decision, suggesting the defense minister needs to better understand the operational realities.