The Israel Border Police is establishing a new unit to handle reports of “violations of the law” in Judea and Samaria, with a focus on Jewish violence against Palestinians, Kan Reshet Bet reported Friday.
The decision to establish a dedicated unit, which will “soon” open a 24/7 hotline, was announced by the Israel Defense Forces’ Central Command in a letter to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, according to the report.
The NGO, which receives funding from European governments, had lodged a complaint with the army over what it claimed was a rise in anti-Palestinian violence in Judea and Samaria since the start of the ceasefire with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip on Jan. 19.
“Following incidents of law and order violations throughout the area, a dedicated Border Police command center was established, whose role is to act against these incidents,” the IDF wrote in response to the letter.
“This command center has been significantly reinforced in its ongoing activities. It should be noted that this force prevented harm to persons and property,” stated Central Command, adding that some incidents were also prevented by acting on “advance intelligence information.”
The Israel Defense Forces recorded 663 instances of violence by Jews against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria last year, a 34% decrease compared to 2023 when 1,005 incidents were recorded by the IDF.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem recorded thousands of Palestinian terrorist attacks against Jews in 2024—including many in Judea and Samaria.
Military representatives told lawmakers of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in February of last year that “there is no such concept as settler violence” by Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.
“There is nationalistic crime, but we are talking about a few incidents … We have great respect for the residents of Judea and Samaria. They are our brothers, and it is our job to ensure their safety,” the senior IDF officials reportedly told lawmakers during a closed-door meeting.
Last month, an Israeli police officer was questioned under caution after he allegedly shot and seriously wounded two Israeli Jews following violent riots in the Palestinian village of al-Funduq in Samaria.
Israel Hayom cited eyewitnesses as claiming that the officer, who had responded to reports of Jewish activists setting fire to Arab vehicles, businesses and other structures in al-Funduq, opened fire after an argument broke out between him and a group of masked rioters.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz at the time urged law enforcement agencies to “enforce the law and arrest and prosecute anyone who breaks the law, whether in Judea and Samaria or anywhere else in Israel.”