Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has approved the expansion of gun licence across 11 additional illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank, despite warnings from Israeli security officials of a potential wave of settler attacks against Palestinians following next week's elections.
The decision, reported by Israel's Channel 14 on Thursday, comes as the Israeli military, Shin Bet security service and police face mounting criticism over their failure to contain settler violence, with security officials warning that extremist groups could attempt to seize more Palestinian land if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses power.
Ben-Gvir's move will allow residents of 11 more settlements and outposts in the northern occupied West Bank to apply for firearms licences, provided they meet the criteria set by Israel's National Security Ministry.
"We are continuing the arming revolution and expanding this reform to include the new settlements we have established in the northern West Bank," Ben-Gvir was quoted as saying by Channel 14.
The extremist minister pledged to continue expanding the programme, which his ministry claims is intended to strengthen security within settlements and enable residents to respond to attacks.
The expansion comes amid a campaign of settler violence against Palestinians, including assaults on farmers, land seizures and attacks aimed at forcing residents from their homes.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Northern West Bank Settlements Council, welcomed the decision, arguing that settlers who had served in Israeli combat units or military reserves needed weapons to defend their families and settlements.
He described the northern occupied West Bank as a "strategic defensive line" for Israel.
Fears of settler violence after Israeli elections
The expansion comes just days before Israel's 27 October parliamentary elections, with Israeli security officials warning that extremist settlers could launch a coordinated campaign of attacks against Palestinians if Netanyahu's governing bloc loses power.
According to Haaretz, which cited sources familiar with military assessments, far-right activists could seek to establish new illegal outposts, seize Palestinian land and attack residents in an attempt to prevent a future government from dismantling illegal settlements.
The concern is that extremist settlers may refuse to accept a change in government and instead attempt to impose new realities on the ground before any incoming administration can act.
The growing availability of firearms among settlers could further complicate efforts to evacuate illegal outposts, potentially increasing the risk of armed resistance to any future government seeking to remove them.
Israeli military officials are reportedly reinforcing troop deployments in the West Bank and seeking additional Border Police personnel in areas where violent settler groups operate.
Yet sources familiar with the security assessments have acknowledged that the army, Shin Bet and police are struggling to contain attacks, particularly when settlers strike several locations simultaneously.
"Anyone who tells you there is control is lying. The army, Shin Bet and police have lost control of the area," a security source familiar with the situation told Haaretz.
"They are running from one location to another chasing rioters. The problem is that no real effort is being made to regain control."
The remarks reflect growing frustration within Israel's own security establishment over the authorities' failure to stop settler terrorism, despite knowing where violent groups operate and the identities of prominent perpetrators.
Military officials have reportedly questioned why no effective preventive plan has been developed, rather than relying on forces to respond after attacks have already taken place.
Israeli security chiefs meet but take no action
Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir convened a meeting on Tuesday with senior security officials to discuss the escalating attacks and the risk of further violence surrounding the elections.
Despite the warnings, the meeting ended without significant new decisions, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Officials within the military's Central Command reportedly criticised the absence of representatives from Netanyahu's office, Defence Minister Israel Katz and the National Security Council, arguing that the situation required direct political intervention.
One source described the meeting as little more than an exercise in recording a security assessment, with no meaningful steps agreed to prevent further attacks.
The failure to act comes as Katz has discontinued the use of administrative detention against Israeli settlers, removing a measure previously available to security forces dealing with extremist violence.
Instead, the military, Shin Bet and legal authorities are reportedly preparing exclusion orders that would bar individuals involved in incitement or attacks from entering the West Bank.
Security officials have acknowledged, however, that such orders would do little to prevent other settlers from establishing illegal outposts, seizing Palestinian farmland or carrying out attacks.
Ben-Gvir's drive to arm settlers
Ben-Gvir has made expanding access to firearms a central policy since becoming national security minister in early 2023, easing licensing requirements and widening the categories of Israelis eligible to carry weapons.
The programme accelerated following the start of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, alongside an intensification of Israeli military raids and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank.
On 21 January 2026, Ben-Gvir approved the addition of 18 settlements in the occupied territory to the list of locations whose residents could apply for firearms licences.
According to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, more than 200 cities, towns and other localities had been included in the expanded eligibility programme during 2026.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its civilian population into occupied territory.