Israel Plans Police-Led Enforcement Shift in West Bank Amid Rising Settler Violence

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday a directive for the IDF to prepare a plan transferring full enforcement authority over Israeli civilians in the West Bank to the Israeli police. This move follows recent violent incidents in the village of Kusra and has sparked controversy within both the military and police forces. Senior security officials suggest the initiative aims to shift criticism away from the IDF by increasing police operational responsibility, particularly through the Border Police in the West Bank.

The West Bank is divided into Areas A, B, and C, each with distinct enforcement responsibilities. The IDF currently leads in preventing violence in Areas A and B, with the police handling investigations and law enforcement in Area C's Israeli settlements. The new directive does not remove the IDF from Areas A and B but seeks to enhance police involvement in operational enforcement, especially in nationalist crime incidents, by creating a specialized police unit with dedicated resources and training.

This change responds in part to the evolving nature of Jewish settlements, including over 160 agricultural farms scattered across the West Bank, which require different security and enforcement approaches than established communities. The recent violent clashes in Kusra, located in Area B, illustrate the complexity of overlapping military and police roles, as IDF forces and Border Police confronted Jewish youths resisting arrest, resulting in injuries and heightened tensions.

While the IDF remains the primary security authority in Areas A and B, police forces have increasingly conducted arrests and prosecutions related to nationalist crimes, with about 200 suspects detained and over 50 indictments filed since early 2026. The debate centers on how Israel enforces law in a territory where military, police, and civilian jurisdictions intersect and how to balance responsibilities amid rising settler violence and criticism of the IDF's role.