Ben Gvir Expands Mass Gun Access in Kiryat Shmona, Promoting Settler Violence

Israeli far-right minister authorizes near city-wide firearms eligibility, deepening settler armament and risks of violence against Palestinians

Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Israeli far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has announced sweeping new measures to expand access to firearms for settlers in the northern settlement of Kiryat Shmona, framing the move as a response to security needs following cross-border hostilities.

Speaking during a faction meeting of his extremist Otzma Yehudit party on December 29, 2025, Ben Gvir said the occupation government had decided to classify nearly the entire settlement as a firearms-eligible zone, excluding only the industrial area.

Under the decision, settlers who have returned to Kiryat Shmona will be able to obtain private gun licenses, accompanied by an expanded police presence.

The announcement comes despite the fact that Kiryat Shmona remains economically paralyzed. Of its roughly 24,000 residents evacuated during the fighting with the Lebanese Resistance, only around 60 percent have returned more than a year after a ceasefire was reached in late November 2024, while approximately half of the settlement’s businesses remain closed.

Militarization Over Reconstruction

Rather than addressing the structural damage caused by repeated Israeli wars, Ben Gvir presented the proliferation of firearms as a path toward “growth” and “flourishing” for the settlement, citing hundreds of millions of shekels allocated by another far-right minister.

The fighting that emptied Kiryat Shmona was part of cross-border operations carried out by the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah, which were launched in defense of Gaza during Israel’s war on the besieged enclave.

While the Israeli government has acknowledged the scale of displacement and economic collapse in the north, its response has increasingly leaned toward settler militarization rather than civilian recovery.

Critics argue that the policy effectively deputizes settlers, blurring the line between civilian and armed force while embedding weapons deeper into daily life under occupation.

Wider Consequences Across Occupied Palestine

The move in Kiryat Shmona is part of a broader campaign led by Ben Gvir to flood “Israel” with weapons. Since October 7, 2023, gun permit applications have surged, with the Police Ministry fast-tracking approvals and temporarily delegating licensing authority to political appointees and parliamentary staff. Several of these figures were later investigated for improperly issuing firearms licenses.

By September, Ben Gvir claimed that approximately 230,000 new gun licenses had been issued during his tenure. While the minister insists the policy enhances security, rights groups—particularly women’s organizations—have warned of rising risks of domestic violence and gun-related harm.

Palestinian officials say the loosening of gun regulations will further embolden settler violence across the occupied West Bank. In November, the Palestinian Authority Commission against the Wall and Settlements reported that Israeli occupation forces and settlers carried out 2,350 attacks during October alone.

According to commission head Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, 1,584 of those attacks were committed by occupation forces, while settlers were responsible for 766 incidents targeting Palestinians, their land, and property.

Expanding settler armament—backed by military protection and political cover—will deepen a climate of impunity, accelerate land seizures, and intensify violence against a civilian population living under occupation. (PW)