Israel to End Administrative Detention for West Bank Settlers Amid Rising Violence

JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities announced on Friday that they will cease using administrative detention — the practice of holding individuals without trial — for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. This decision, made by the Israeli defense ministry, follows concerns about its controversial use, particularly against Palestinians.

Administrative detention allows detainees to be held for long periods without formal charges or court proceedings, a measure often employed against Palestinians perceived as security threats. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that it was “inappropriate” to apply such measures to settlers who face security threats from Palestinians and international sanctions.

However, critics, including the settlement watchdog Peace Now, argue that administrative detention has been one of the few effective tools for temporarily curbing settler violence against Palestinians, which has increased significantly in the West Bank over the past year. Peace Now condemned the decision, labeling it a move that “whitewashes” escalating settler violence, particularly during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The move also comes as Western countries, including the U.S., have imposed sanctions on settler organizations linked to violence against Palestinians. Recently, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Amana, a prominent Israeli settlement movement, for its ties to violent actions in the region.