Israeli Defense Minister Orders IDF to Transfer Civil Enforcement in West Bank to Police

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to submit a comprehensive plan within two weeks to transfer responsibility for civil law enforcement in the West Bank to the Israeli Police. This directive followed a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Central Command leadership, and other senior security officials. The plan will be coordinated with the police while respecting the IDF's operational authority in the area. The move aims to reduce the military's workload and allow it to focus on combating Palestinian terrorism.

During the discussion, Katz received detailed briefings on IDF and Shin Bet activities in the West Bank. He praised the IDF's counterterrorism efforts, noting a significant decline in terrorist activity for the second consecutive year. Katz emphasized the strategic importance of capturing terrorist camps in northern Samaria and preparing to neutralize additional camps if terrorism escalates. However, the meeting also highlighted serious illegal and violent acts by a small minority of Jewish settlers, which have forced the IDF to allocate more resources to address these issues. Katz strongly condemned such violence and unauthorized law enforcement by civilians.

The initiative was originally proposed months ago by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Yoav (Yoram) Levi, who recommended reallocating responsibilities between the IDF and police. Levi, a former Border Police and Jerusalem District commander, argued that many tasks require skills and authorities outside the military's core functions. Under the proposal, a new specialized police unit would be established to handle law enforcement in the West Bank fully.

Additionally, the meeting agreed to expedite the legalization and regulation of certain agricultural outposts in coordination with the Central Command, subject to legal and security approvals. Katz stressed that expanding settlements is vital for regional security, while also warning of economic penalties and criminal consequences for illegal or unauthorized activities that burden the defense system.

This decision comes amid tensions between IDF Chief Zamir and Religious Zionism Minister Bezalel Smotrich over the appointment of the next Civil Administration head. Zamir prefers postponing a permanent appointment until after elections and temporarily appointing reservist Brigadier General Fares Atileh, while Smotrich opposes this and supports Brigadier General Yogev Barashet for the permanent role. Recent weeks have seen clashes in the West Bank, including police arrests of youths suspected of "price tag" attacks and a Palestinian detained for incitement on social media.