Katz orders IDF to draft plan for transferring West Bank civilian enforcement to police

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Monday that he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to submit a plan within two weeks to transfer responsibility for civilian enforcement in the West Bank to the Israel Police. The directive follows a surge in reports of settler violence against Palestinians. According to a statement from Katz’s office, he emphasized the need to address "unauthorized" actions and called for more effective inter-organizational cooperation. The move is widely viewed as logistically challenging ahead of national elections. Because the West Bank has not been formally annexed, the IDF has historically held primary enforcement authority in the territory. Critics note that the military currently detains Jewish suspects only briefly before handing them to police, who often release them without charge. Meanwhile, Katz also announced plans to advance the legalization of outpost farms in the West Bank. While supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, these outposts are described by activists as tools used to dispossess Palestinians of their land.