‘De facto annexation’: Israel to shift civilian enforcement in West Bank from army to police

In a move perceived as advancing Israel's annexation of the West Bank, the country plans to shift civilian enforcement from the military to police forces, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday. Katz instructed the military to draft a plan to transfer powers for civilian matters from the army to the police. The police would establish a force to handle and address civilian issues, while the military would concentrate solely on combating Palestinian terrorism and protecting borders and communities, according to Katz's office.

Katz justified the decision, stating that the police should oversee civilian affairs in the West Bank, as they already do so in all other parts of Israel. The move was not coordinated with either the military or the police, but Israel Hayom reported that the army had been advocating for the change for weeks.