Israel’s defence minister said on Friday he is immediately freeing Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank who are being held in so-called “administrative detention.”
The warrants issued for all of them will be lifted, Defence Minister Israel Katz said. The measure does not apply to Palestinians, who are vastly more affected by the controversial practice.
Katz said he was freeing the settlers because of the ceasefire and hostage deal reached with Hamas militants in Gaza. That agreement also foresees the release of hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails, most of whom will return to the West Bank – but the ceasefire has yet to be formally approved by the Israeli government or put into effect.
Katz said Jewish settlers are on the “front line in the fight against Palestinian terrorism,” and so his decision to free them is meant to send “a clear message of strength and encouragement.”
He did not mention the increasing settler violence against Palestinian residents of the West Bank.
Administrative detention involves holding suspects for six months or even longer. This is the case if the people concerned are linked to a crime, for example, but there is not enough evidence to bring charges or go to trial.
Rights groups say detainees are held on the presumption that they could commit an offence at some point in the future, and that children and activists can languish behind bars for long periods.
Katz had already decided at the end of November 2024 to abolish the practice for Israeli settlers, but not for Palestinians. Administrative detention is a feature of the West Bank, but does not apply inside Israel.
Internationally, most states view Israeli settlements as illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace in the region.
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