Katz to set loose Israeli settlers held in administrative detention
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Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz says his decision serves to "convey a clear message of strengthening and encouraging the [West Bank] settlements."
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Then-Minister of Transport and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yisrael Katz, attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in occupied al-Quds, on Sunday, February 24, 2019 (AP)
Israeli Security Minister Yisrael Katz has announced his decision to release settlers in the occupied West Bank currently held under administrative detention orders, coinciding with the anticipated release of Palestinian detainees as part of the ceasefire-prisoner exchange agreement signed with Hamas in Doha last night, The Times of Israel reported on Friday.
This controversial policy, which allows Israeli authorities to hold individuals without charge for up to six months with indefinite renewals, is primarily used against Palestinians but has also been applied to some extremist Israeli settlers.
Under the practice, detainees are often denied access to the evidence against them, which is withheld by military prosecutors.
In a statement, Katz said his decision serves to "convey a clear message of strengthening and encouraging the [West Bank] settlements, which are at the forefront of the struggle against Palestinian terrorism and facing growing security challenges."
Seemly angered by the deal, the Israeli minister added that "it is better for the families of Jewish settlers to be happy than the families of released terrorists."
In November, Katz declared the cessation of administrative detention orders for settlers in the West Bank, marking a shift in the application of this policy, which is now reserved for Palestinians.
Under the tenure of former Security Minister Yoav Gallant, 16 administrative detention orders were issued against Israelis, seven of whom remained in custody at the time, The Times of Israel noted.
The news website highlighted that Katz’s latest decision follows reports suggesting that the Israeli government plans to implement additional measures to fight the Palestinian Resistance in the occupied West Bank as part of efforts to dissuade Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from leaving the coalition in protest of the Gaza agreement.
Settlers establish base layer on Palestinian land for new illegal outpost
In a related context, the Palestinian WAFA news agency reported that a group of Israeli settlers laid Friday a layer of base course on land belonging to the village of an-Naqura, northwest of Nablus.
Hashim Mohsen, the head of the an-Naqura Village Council, told WAFA that the settlers have taken this step as preparation for placing caravans and establishing a colonial outpost on village land.
According to Mohsen, the settlers had previously bulldozed agricultural land owned by several Palestinian residents in the Ain Qibla area.
He pointed out that the settlers threatened that any attempts to approach the land would result in the destruction of all nearby greenhouses owned by local farmers, adding that the targeted area lies just 50 meters away from Palestinian homes.
Israeli settlers in the area routinely target Palestinian farmers, stealing their crops and water pumps while damaging irrigation systems, Mohsen noted.
Following the events of October 7, 2023, attacks by settlers in the West Bank have significantly intensified, with settlers establishing new outposts under the tacit approval of the Israeli government.
Murad Ishtiwi, Director of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission in the northern West Bank, stressed that the Israeli government’s plan to increase the settler population in the northern West Bank to one million by 2050 reflects a deliberate strategy of gradual "annexation".
This is reflected in the development of road networks, the seizure of Palestinian resources, and the allocation of water, electricity, and infrastructure services to the illegal settlements.
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