Jewish settlers returned Friday and set up an outpost near Qusra, a day after they were evacuated from the hill following a significant delay that drew international criticism of Israel and an unusually sharp rebuke from the United States. The IDF quickly said the encampment had also been dismantled. An Israeli left-wing activist who arrived to assist Palestinians said the tent had been removed and that the settlers had moved 200 to 300 meters into the valley, where a large number of security forces were deployed. The head of Qusra said about 70 peace and human rights activists had arrived and tried to reach homes to provide residents with food and water, but the military prevented them from doing so.
At the same time, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday morning, against the backdrop of the riots in Qusra, that he had instructed the IDF to prepare a plan to transfer all law enforcement powers over Israeli citizens to the police.
Qusra: Settlers return the tent to the village area
"The IDF's role is to fight Palestinian terrorism and focus on defending the borders and communities against threats," Katz said. "Full responsibility for enforcing civil matters and maintaining law and order will be transferred to the police."
Senior military-law experts sharply criticized Katz's claims, calling his statement "a populist deception" and arguing that the police already have enforcement powers but are not using them because of the "commander's spirit" set by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
They said the military remains the sovereign authority in the area under international law and will remain responsible for it. "What exactly will change on the ground? The law simply needs to be enforced, rather than through hollow declarations," they said. The experts also criticized Katz over his decision to cancel administrative detention orders against Jews in the West Bank, saying he, along with the military and police, bears responsibility for the deterioration.
According to Katz, he held a discussion Thursday on the West Bank with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, along with the head of the Operations Directorate, the head of Military Intelligence and other commanders. At the end of the meeting, he instructed the IDF to formulate the plan "in coordination with the police and relevant authorities."
Katz said the police should handle Israeli citizens as they do "anywhere else in the State of Israel."
Various officials argue that because Israel has never applied sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, the IDF is defined as the sovereign authority in the area and is therefore responsible for dealing with riots by both Israeli citizens and Palestinians.
Katz is also effectively acknowledging that the IDF does not have enough personnel to carry out all the tasks assigned to it, against the backdrop of the mass exemption from military service granted to the ultra-Orthodox. However, it is unclear whether the police have the necessary manpower, particularly given their reliance on the IDF for security when entering Areas A and B, where the outposts are being established.
In this context, it is worth recalling comments made Thursday by Beit El Regional Council head Shai Alon in the ynet studio. He said the failure to deal with settlers stems not from the IDF but from the police, specifically National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
"The West Bank police understand the commander's spirit," Alon said. "I have a lot of respect for them, but they are not doing enough on this issue."
IDF forces near the village of Qusra
(Photo: Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
Ben-Gvir himself argues that responsibility for dealing with the riots lies with the IDF, and it is doubtful he would agree to transferring authority to the police. As a result, such a move is not expected to get underway before the election.
Katz said, "The police will prepare and establish an appropriate force to handle civil matters, and will be granted all the necessary powers and budgets. The IDF will continue to fight Palestinian terrorism and focus on defending the borders and communities. This is not its role, nor does it have the capacity to enforce civil matters in the West Bank, given the expected welcome increase in the number of settlers following decisions to establish 104 new communities and formalize agricultural farms, on the one hand, and the growing security threats and challenges facing the IDF and those it is expected to face on the central front, on the other."
"The IDF's role is to fight Palestinian terrorism, focus on defending the borders and communities against threats, deal with the borders and the territory itself and with security threats to the settlements and the State of Israel, not to chase teenagers on the hills," Katz said. "Full responsibility for dealing with and enforcing the law in the communities and among the settlers, as well as civil matters, will be transferred to the Israel Police, which will be required to prepare accordingly. This is also a significant step toward strengthening governance and enforcing law and order in the West Bank and freeing the IDF to carry out its primary missions."
Yisrael Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, expressed support for the defense minister's initiative.
Young people near the village of Qusra
(Photo: Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
"I commend Israel Katz for the important and necessary decision to transfer responsibility for enforcing the law in civil matters in Israeli communities in the West Bank to the Israel Police," Gantz said. "The time has come for civilian life in Binyamin, West Bank to be conducted like everywhere else in the State of Israel: The police are responsible for enforcing law and order, while the IDF focuses on its central mission — security and defeating terrorism."
Gantz added: "This is another step toward correcting a reality that has continued for decades. Now the process must be completed, the Oslo Accords must be canceled and full Israeli sovereignty must be applied in Binyamin, the West Bank. The time has come to move from temporary administration to the full application of Israeli law."
The Palestinian village of Qusra, south of Nablus, has in recent months become a flashpoint for repeated clashes
(Photo: REUTERS/Ismael Khader, Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
The Palestinian village of Qusra, south of Nablus, has recently become a flashpoint for repeated clashes between Palestinian residents and Jewish youths and settlers. In one of the latest incidents, a group of Jews raided the southern part of the village, attacked a 32-year-old Palestinian man and moderately wounded him, and set fire to chicken coops. According to Palestinian reports, the attackers also prevented firefighting crews from reaching the site.
Shortly afterward, settlers attempted to enter the western part of Qusra, but residents drove them back. IDF forces that arrived at the scene used tear gas and, according to the Palestinians, 10 people were injured, including seven children.
Tensions in Qusra intensified following the attack in which Maj. Yuval Ezra and Benayahu Mellet were killed. On the following night, according to reports published by ynet, the Al-Rahma Mosque on the outskirts of Qusra was set on fire and vandalized with graffiti including "revenge," "Israel will rise in blood" and "mosques don't scare us."
The town's mayor told ynet that residents were living, in his words, "under siege and in constant fear," and that the village's main entrance had been closed for months, making it difficult for residents to reach the district capital. At the same time, the IDF and security forces operated in the area following the incidents and police opened an investigation.
First published: 10:35, 08.14.26