Israeli far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has established a new police unit consisting of armed settlers who are operating illegally, according to the Anadolu agency, with analysts suggesting this step could further entrench "Israel's" de facto "annexation" of the occupied West Bank.

The far-right minister announced the decision during a ceremony on Wednesday at the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil, located in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.

According to a police statement released on Thursday, the newly formed "First Response Unit," composed of more than 100 illegal settlers from Israeli settlements, will operate under the West Bank police division with the alleged aim of delivering "rapid and effective emergency response," improving "personal security," and assisting in "fighting crime" in the area.

Ben-Gvir referred to the settlers in the unit as an "inseparable part of society," commending their ability to deliver "quick responses in the field," while framing the initiative as an expression of "real sovereignty and practical Zionism," a statement widely interpreted as advancing "Israel's" broader objective of annexing the West Bank.

Deputy Police Commissioner Avshalom Peled stated that the unit would operate as a volunteer force assisting regular police activities, describing it as an "additional layer" of security for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, despite the settlements being considered illegal under international law.

Opposition figures and other critics have accused the far-right minister of abusing his authority to create armed militias while presenting them as an official "National Guard".

Israeli settlement expansion surges by 40% under Netanyahu

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are enduring a significant surge in settler attacks and an exponential expansion of illegal settlement outposts. According to Israeli media on Friday, there has been a 40% rise in the number of illegal settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

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Israeli Channel 12 reported that the West Bank has witnessed a boom in settlement activity since the formation of Netanyahu's government at the end of 2022. The number of settlements increased from 128 to 178, accompanied by extensive demolitions of Palestinian homes.

Impact on Palestinian communities

This expansion directly affects Palestinian communities through land seizure and home demolitions. The channel emphasized that these measures aim to entrench Israeli control over the area and dismantle the viability of the "two-state solution".

Ben-Gvir's new unit comprises settlers involved in near-daily attacks against Palestinians. From physical assault and murder to arson and vandalism, destruction of agricultural lands, theft of land and resources, road ambushes and attacks on shepherds, and home invasions and intimidation, these attacks typically go about without consequence; suspects are seldom arrested, and prosecutions are even rarer. 

This calls the unit into question, raising concerns about its true mission.

Read more: Israeli settlers suffocating Palestinian shepherds with land theft

Ben-Gvir grapples with ceasefire in Gaza

For an understanding of the police minister's mindset, Ben-Gvir, a chair in the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, along with the Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is a highly influential member of the coalition that brought Netanyahu to power.

According to a July 2 report by N12, Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly pressured Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to jointly block a proposed prisoner swap agreement that would require implementing a temporary truce in Gaza.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have consistently opposed any agreement that would bring an end to the Gaza conflict, and now, Ben-Gvir is reportedly calculating that a unified position between his Otzma Yehudit party and Smotrich's Religious Zionism faction could generate sufficient political leverage to deter Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from moving forward with the proposed ceasefire deal.

On July 10, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and former Israeli security minister, claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was intentionally prolonging the war in Gaza to appease far-right ministers within his coalition government.

Lieberman asserted that Netanyahu is prolonging military operations in the besieged Gaza Strip to satisfy Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, despite increasing acknowledgment within military circles that the conflict's strategic objectives have already been met.