Ben-Gvir Arms Settlers, Escalates Violence Across the Occupied West Bank
IIsraeli minister authorizes firearms for settlers in 18 illegal settlements, accelerating militarization and attacks on Palestinians
Palestine | PUREWILAYAH.COM - Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has approved the expansion of personal firearm permits to settlers across 18 additional illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that further intensifies settler violence against Palestinians and entrenches the militarization of illegal colonies.
The decision, announced by Ben-Gvir’s office on Wednesday, is part of his so-called firearms reform policy, which has dramatically increased the number of armed settlers over the past year. According to the minister, more than 240,000 settlers have been granted gun licenses—up sharply from a previous annual average of around 8,000.
The newly approved settlements span the northern, central, and southern West Bank, including the settlement of Goder in the Jordan Valley, expanding the geographic reach of armed settler presence across occupied Palestinian territory.
“I am pleased today to approve the addition of 18 more settlements in Judea and Samaria to the list of communities eligible for personal firearms,” Ben-Gvir said, using the Zionist designation for the occupied West Bank. He claimed settlers have a “moral right” to arm themselves and framed the policy as a matter of self-defense.
Settler Militarization Formalized Under Occupation Policy
Ben-Gvir claimed that armed settlers have thwarted Palestinian operations in multiple cases, declaring that “weapons save lives.” His remarks come amid an escalating campaign of violence across the West Bank, carried out by armed settlers alongside Israeli occupation forces and under police protection.
On December 29, 2025, the occupation government designated nearly all of Kiryat Shmona as a firearms-eligible zone, excluding only its industrial area. Under the policy, settlers remaining in the settlement are permitted to legally arm themselves, accompanied by an expanded police presence.
The extension of gun access—including to settlers in unauthorized outposts—began in late 2023 with the launch of the war on Gaza. Despite reports of rising casualties, including among Israeli settlers themselves, the policy has continued uninterrupted.
War on the West Bank Deepens
Since October 2023, armed settler attacks on Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank have surged, frequently carried out in coordination with Israeli occupation forces. These assaults have included the burning of homes and vehicles, land bulldozing, and live-fire attacks on civilians.
According to Palestinian officials, settler and Israeli military violence has resulted in more than 1,100 Palestinians killed, over 11,000 wounded, and upwards of 21,000 abducted across the West Bank.
On Wednesday alone, at least six Palestinians were injured when settlers stormed several communities, setting fire to homes and vehicles. Settlers also erected a new outpost in Khan al-Ahmar, east of occupied Al-Quds, and pitched tents on Palestinian land south of Nablus.
In Qusra, a village increasingly encircled by illegal settlements, municipal council head Hani Odeh reported that settlers bulldozed land in Ras Ain Ainyah before launching a violent assault on the village, backed by occupation forces. Eyewitnesses described intense gunfire as residents resisted in an attempt to defend their homes.
The latest decision by Ben-Gvir further entrenches a system in which armed settlers operate with impunity, accelerating violence and land seizure across the occupied West Bank.. (PW)