The Israeli Military Will Distribute Weapons For Illegal Settlements In The West Bank

Israeli Army/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - The Israeli military will provide more weapons to illegal settlers in the West Bank, according to Israeli media reports.

"The Israeli military announced it would distribute additional long-barreled weapons (machine guns) in the West Bank," the Israeli Channel 7 reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Thursday, May 30.

A representative of the Central Command of the Israeli army (unnamed) announced at a meeting of the Czech Committee and Samaria (West Tepi) Knesset that long-barreled weapons would also be distributed to residents who are not members of the reserve unit to improve security, the channel added.

The plan follows reports of shootings of illegal settlements near Tulkarem and the killing of two Israeli soldiers who were hit near Nablus in the northern West Bank.

At the end of last year, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir launched a campaign to provide weapons to Israelis, including illegal settlers in the West Bank, calling it a security measure against Palestinian attacks.

Weapons were distributed among illegal settlers and Israeli reserve troops, without specifying the number of weapons distributed.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Czech and Samaria Committee and member of Knesset from the far-right Religious Zionism Party, Tzvi Sukkot, said: "The decision to distribute more weapons in settlements inIAism and Samaria is significant and will strengthen a sense of security."

In a statement to Channel 7, he called on settlers who wanted to take part in the defense of their residential area to apply for weapons.

It is estimated that there are about 720,000 illegal Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.