Police Takeover of West Bank Law Enforcement Fuels Annexation Fears

Israel is planning to transfer civilian law enforcement responsibilities in the occupied West Bank to its police force, a move that Palestinian analysts fear could accelerate the annexation of the territory and intensify pressure on its residents. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the military on Friday to prepare a plan for this shift.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense stated that the police would establish a special unit to handle these civilian affairs. This decision reportedly follows criticism of the military's handling of incidents involving illegal Jewish settlers who besieged a Palestinian home in the village of Qusra. The change raises significant questions about why duties previously managed by the military are now being handed over to the Israeli police.

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This means the government is 'confiscating' the West Bank.

According to analysts, this transfer is more than just an administrative change; it could fundamentally alter the legal standing of the West Bank. Mohanad Mustafa, an academic and researcher on Israeli affairs, explained that shifting enforcement power from the military to a civilian police force signals that Israel no longer views the West Bank as occupied territory. "This means the government is 'confiscating' the West Bank," he told Al Jazeera, adding that the move also absolves the military of some international law responsibilities.

Nihad Abu Ghosh, an expert on Israeli affairs, believes the change will embolden settlers to act more aggressively against Palestinians. Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, described settlers as the "front line in the process of annexation and Judaization." He warned that placing security under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and illegal settlements under Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is akin to "handing the West Bank over to illegal Jewish settlers." The Palestinian leadership has condemned the move, with PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh calling it a clear violation of international agreements and an attempt to impose Israeli law and sovereignty over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

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front line in the process of annexation and Judaization.