Palestinian says Israel plan for occupier policing entrenches West Bank annexation

Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, on Friday condemned Israel's plan to transfer law enforcement powers over illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank to the Israeli police, calling the move a flagrant violation of international law and a deliberate step to entrench the territory's illegal annexation. The statement came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the army to prepare a plan that would place settler policing under the authority of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right figure known for his expansionist agenda. The announcement, made this week, signals a significant shift in how Israel manages the occupied territory, placing the enforcement of law over settlers directly in the hands of a ministry long associated with hardline policies.

The Plan and Its Implications

According to a statement from Katz's office, the defense minister ordered the military to draft a proposal that would see a special police force formed to handle law enforcement over settlers in the West Bank. This force would be granted the necessary powers and budget to operate under the umbrella of Ben-Gvir's National Security Ministry. The move effectively strips the military of a role it has held since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank, and transfers it to a civilian police apparatus that answers to a minister who has openly advocated for increased settlement activity.

For Palestinians, the distinction is more than administrative. Under military rule, settlers and Palestinians are subject to a dual legal system that has long been criticized as discriminatory. Shifting settler policing to the police, which operates under Israeli civilian law, would further cement the notion that the West Bank is being treated as an extension of Israeli sovereign territory rather than land under belligerent occupation. Al-Sheikh framed the plan as a direct assault on the legal framework that governs the occupied Palestinian territory.

Palestinian Leadership Responds

In his statement, al-Sheikh did not mince words. "The move constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, international legitimacy resolutions and signed agreements," he said. He went on to describe the plan as "a new attempt to impose Israeli law and sovereignty on the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and to entrench the illegal annexation of Palestinian land." His remarks underscore a growing concern among Palestinian leaders that Israel is systematically dismantling the Oslo Accords framework, which was supposed to be a temporary arrangement leading to a two-state solution.

Al-Sheikh also reiterated the Palestinian position on settlements, stating, "Settlement in all its forms is illegal and Israel has no sovereignty over any part of the territory of the State of Palestine occupied in 1967." He called on the international community, "foremost the UN Security Council," to "assume its responsibilities, stop these unilateral and dangerous Israeli measures, and oblige Israel to comply with international legitimacy resolutions and international law." The appeal reflects a broader frustration among Palestinian officials who have watched international condemnations mount without meaningful action to halt Israeli policies on the ground.

The Role of Ben-Gvir's Ministry

The decision to place settler policing under Ben-Gvir's authority is laden with political significance. Ben-Gvir, who leads the Jewish Power party, has built his political career on a platform of expanding settlements and curbing Palestinian rights. His ministry has already been involved in contentious policies, including the regularization of outposts and increased funding for settler infrastructure. By granting his ministry control over settler law enforcement, the Israeli government is consolidating power in the hands of an official who has repeatedly dismissed Palestinian claims to the land.

Critics within Israel and abroad have warned that this move could escalate tensions. The Israeli army has historically served as a buffer between settlers and Palestinians, even as it has been accused of protecting settlers during attacks. Transferring this role to the police, which operates under a different legal framework, could remove what little accountability exists and embolden settler violence. The timing of the announcement, coming amid a surge in attacks documented by the United Nations, has raised alarms among human rights organizations monitoring the region.

Hamas Condemnation

Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs the Gaza Strip, also issued a strong condemnation of the plan. In a statement, the group called it "a dangerous step toward imposing de facto annexation and entrenching control over occupied Palestinian territory by applying occupation laws there, in a flagrant violation of international laws that criminalize settlement." The group emphasized that "transferring the powers to police under Ben-Gvir's ministry cannot be separated from Israeli government's policy aimed at strengthening settlement and imposing new facts on the ground in the West Bank."

Hamas's response reflects a rare moment of unity among Palestinian factions, which have been divided politically since the 2007 split between the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and the group's rule in Gaza. While Hamas and the Palestinian Authority remain at odds over governance, both recognize the existential threat posed by Israel's creeping annexation. The plan, if implemented, would mark a significant escalation in Israel's efforts to formalize its control over the West Bank, a territory that remains central to any future Palestinian state.

UN Data on Settler Violence

The announcement comes just days after the United Nations issued a stark warning about the deteriorating situation in the West Bank. On Wednesday, the UN reported that settler violence had reached unprecedented levels, documenting more than 1,430 attacks since the start of 2026. These attacks, which have targeted around 260 Palestinian communities, have had a devastating impact on daily life. According to the UN, the attacks, alongside demolitions and evictions, have displaced 3,800 Palestinians, about half of them children.

The figures paint a grim picture of life under occupation. Families are being forced from their homes, often with little notice, as settlers expand their footprint with the backing of the Israeli military. The UN's data underscores the urgency of the situation, yet international responses have been largely limited to statements of concern. For Palestinians, the lack of concrete action from the global community has only deepened their sense of abandonment.

What Annexation Means on the Ground

For Palestinian communities in the West Bank, the plan to transfer settler policing is not an abstract legal matter. It has immediate, tangible consequences. In villages like those in the Hebron Governorate, where protests have been held in support of land threatened by seizure, residents live under constant threat of violence and displacement. The presence of settlers, often armed and protected by the military, has made it increasingly difficult for Palestinians to access their own land, water resources, and even basic services.

Annexation, whether formal or de facto, means the gradual erasure of Palestinian presence in areas designated for settlement expansion. It means more checkpoints, more land confiscations, and more restrictions on movement. It means that a Palestinian farmer cannot tend his olive groves without fear of attack, and a child cannot walk to school without passing through a settlement outpost. The transfer of law enforcement powers to Ben-Gvir's ministry would only accelerate this process, embedding the occupation deeper into the fabric of daily life.

International Law and the Path Forward

Under international law, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is considered occupied territory. The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into the territory it occupies, and it requires the occupier to maintain the existing legal order. Israel's plan to apply its own law enforcement structures over settlers is a direct violation of these principles. The International Court of Justice has also weighed in, declaring the occupation itself illegal and calling for its end.

Yet, despite these legal rulings, Israel has continued to expand settlements and entrench its control. The international community, including the United Nations Security Council, has repeatedly condemned these actions but has failed to impose meaningful consequences. Al-Sheikh's call for the Security Council to "assume its responsibilities" reflects a broader frustration with a system that seems unable or unwilling to enforce its own resolutions. As the situation on the ground deteriorates, the gap between international law and political reality grows ever wider.

The path forward remains uncertain. For Palestinians, the plan to transfer settler policing is yet another reminder that the international community's words have not translated into action. It is a step that, if implemented, would bring the West Bank closer to formal annexation and further from the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. As the UN's data on displacement and violence makes clear, the cost of inaction is being borne by ordinary people, many of them children, who are losing their homes, their land, and their futures.

By Fatima Al-Rashid, Staff Writer

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency, UN statements on the occupied West Bank.