Israel Police announced plans to appoint a senior officer to oversee agricultural settler outposts in the West Bank, reflecting increased institutional engagement with these settlements, some of which have previously been deemed unauthorized. The new position, titled head of the police administration for agricultural settler outposts, involves regulating and mapping these sites and coordinating their establishment alongside settler communities.

The role will require close cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Civil Administration—the Israeli governing body in the occupied territories—and the Shin Bet security service. A senior police official said the officer will also be tasked with managing interactions with “hilltop youth,” a term used for radical Jewish settlers involved in creating illegal outposts, as well as right-wing activists linked to violence against Palestinians. The official emphasized that police involvement does not equate to legal authorization of outposts, reiterating that “the law comes first” and that authorities will not facilitate illegal settlements.

The police framework aims to establish clearer procedures in collaboration with outpost founders while maintaining order and enforcing the law. According to the official, many of the farms have been set up with coordination from the security establishment and the IDF. He further commented that the initiative seeks to redirect youth away from cycles of violence, suggesting that agricultural outposts might contribute positively to local stability. The police pledged firm action against any individuals committing acts of violence.

In parallel, a senior security source confirmed that the IDF already has a designated officer responsible for liaising with settlers residing in these agricultural outposts. However, the exact division of responsibilities between the new police officer and the IDF liaison remains undefined.

Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, commander of the IDF Central Command, has differentiated among various farming outposts. He acknowledged that some were established in coordination with the army and the Defense Ministry, while others fall outside these parameters, reflecting ongoing complexities in the relationship between official security bodies and settler activities in the West Bank.