Israel Plans New 800-Officer Brigade to Combat Settler Violence in West Bank
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Israel is planning a new 700-800 officer police brigade, dubbed "Brigade C," to combat rising nationalist violence by Jewish extremists in the West Bank's Area C. The unit will have a hybrid status, improving coordination between police, IDF, and Shin Bet, and will focus on open areas outside settlements. The plan aims to provide a constant presence and rapid response to clashes, a concept previously proposed by COGAT head Yoram Halevi.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel is planning a new 700-800 officer police brigade to combat Jewish extremist violence in the West Bank.
- The proposed "Brigade C" would operate in Area C, covering the southern Hebron Hills to northern Samaria.
- The unit would have a hybrid status, subordinate to the IDF Central Command but with civil police powers.
- It aims to improve coordination between police, IDF, and Shin Bet, and provide a constant presence in friction zones.
- The brigade would focus on violence in open areas, not within Jewish settlements.
- The concept was previously proposed by COGAT head General Yoram Halevi but faced hurdles.
Israel is considering the creation of a new, specialized police brigade of 700 to 800 officers and combatants to address rising nationalist violence in the West Bank, known locally as Judea and Samaria. The proposed "Brigade C" would operate from the southern Hebron Hills to the northern Samaria region. According to information revealed by Ynet, District Police Commander Moshe Pinchi presented the plan, which aims to tackle incidents involving Jewish extremists and improve coordination between the police, the IDF, and the Shin Bet.
The unit would possess a unique hybrid status, administratively subordinate to the IDF Central Command chief but with full civil police powers, including investigations, intelligence gathering, and arrests. The strategy shifts from responding to incidents from distant bases to maintaining a constant police presence in identified friction zones. Detailed mapping of Area C has identified agricultural sites, isolated farms, pastures, and areas prone to clashes.
This new force would be divided into operational zones, each with regular patrols for surveillance and rapid response. A joint command center would oversee operations, intelligence, and judicial investigations, ensuring continuity from prevention to intervention and investigation. However, Brigade C would not handle offenses within Jewish settlements, focusing instead on open areas. This would allow regional military units to concentrate more on counter-terrorism.
The concept of a specialized unit for Area C was initially proposed by General Yoram Halevi, head of COGAT, the Israeli agency coordinating government activities in the territories. However, that earlier proposal faced legal and organizational hurdles due to Area C's military jurisdiction.
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