Settler-only IDF units functioning as ‘vigilante militias’ in West Bank

Since October 2023, Israel has established regional defense units called Hagmar in the West Bank, comprised of armed settlers. These units were formed as regular IDF troops moved to Gaza. According to Israeli soldiers, activists, and the UN, Hagmar units often operate with impunity, sometimes participating in or failing to prevent violence against Palestinians. One reservist described them as "armed militias doing what they want," alleging senior command turns a blind eye to their actions. Hagmar members have been implicated in incidents ranging from vandalism and theft to fatal attacks on Palestinians. Critics, like Breaking the Silence, argue this system has created settler militias within the IDF, empowered to act on a violent ideology.

Israeli forces conducted raids across the occupied West Bank on Thursday, detaining dozens of people. These actions followed the burial on Wednesday of a Palestinian youth killed during an Israeli raid near Hebron the previous night. Simultaneously, Israeli settlers reportedly stormed Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, a site revered as the burial place of Joseph. The Israeli military deployed troops to secure the site amidst these reports. These events occur against a backdrop of escalating Israeli military actions and settler violence in the West Bank since October 2023, including settlement expansion and increased attacks on Palestinians.