'Israel' approves 100,000 more gun licenses for settlers

'Israeli' National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday approved an expansion of his controversial policy to arm settlers, authorizing around 100,000 additional settlers to obtain private gun licenses, a move observers warn will further inflame settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

A statement from Ben Gvir’s office said that new cities and settlement areas had been added to the list of eligible locations, opening the door for tens of thousands of settlers to legally carry firearms.

Systematic arming policy

Ben Gvir launched his mass arming initiative at the end of 2023, coinciding with the ongoing war in Gaza. According to figures from his office, around 230,000 new firearm licenses have been issued since then, reflecting an intentional push to place more weapons in settlers’ hands.

The policy comes with full political and legal backing from the 'Israeli' government, which critics argue encourages and supports settler attacks as a tool to advance forced displacement and land appropriation.

Escalating settler violence and forced displacement

The decision is closely linked to the sharp rise in armed settler attacks targeting unarmed Palestinian civilians across towns and villages in the West Bank.

According to documented data, settlers carried out 466 attacks in July alone, resulting in the killing of four Palestinians. These assaults also forced the displacement of 50 Palestinian families - totaling 267 individuals - from the communities of Arab al-Mlihiyat and Deir Alla.

Additionally, 232 incidents of property vandalism and theft were recorded during the same month, including the uprooting, poisoning, and destruction of 2,844 trees, of which 2,647 were olive trees. These attacks amount to an open assault on Palestinians’ livelihoods and presence on their land.