JERUSALEM
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday the suspension of the issuance of administrative arrest warrants for illegal settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Such arrest warrants are rare, but Katz, known for his far-right views, is the first defense minister to refuse issuing administrative detention orders for illegal settlers.
Katz held a meeting earlier this week with the head of the Shin Bet security service, Ronen Bar, informing him of his decision to stop issuing these orders against illegal Jewish settlers in the West Bank and requested that alternative measures be considered, according to a statement from Katz's office.
The arrest orders are based on confidential information concerning illegal settlers accused of serious crimes against Palestinian civilians, including murder, land and property arson, and brutal physical assaults.
Katz said: "It is not appropriate for the State of Israel to take such a strict measure against settlers.”
He added: "If there is suspicion of criminal acts, the perpetrators can be tried, and if not, there are other preventive measures that can be taken instead of administrative detention," without specifying what those measures might be.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right extremist, quickly welcomed the decision.
“His decision to stop issuing administrative arrests for settlers in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) is a correction of an injustice that has lasted many years and a justice for those who love the land,” said Ben-Gvir.
In recent months, several Western countries, including the US, the EU, and the UK, have imposed sanctions on illegal settlers and settler organizations in the occupied West Bank for committing crimes against Palestinians.
Tension has been running high in the West Bank due to Israel’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 44,000 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last year.
Nearly 795 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.
In July, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi