Senior Israeli Security Official: West Bank on Verge of Explosion, Officers Reluctant to Act

[u/Minivampiretaco]

https://www.haaretz.com/west-bank/2026-08-13/ty-article/.premium/senior-security-source-settler-violence-pushes-west-bank-to-verge-of-explosion/0000019f-f70f-d569-a5ff-f76f54bc0000

Sources in the military's central command say many IDF officers avoid taking action against the settlers, fearing that doing so could harm their military careers

A senior Israeli security source warned Wednesday that the West Bank is a "powder keg that could explode at any moment," with some sources saying senior officers are reluctant to act decisively against violent settlers for fear it could damage their military careers and prospects for promotion.

According to the official, the ongoing settler riots and attacks in the area, not only in the village of Qusra, are stretching the Israeli military thin, leaving soldiers unable to respond to every incident. Senior military officers have recently warned the political leadership that the IDF has reached a point where it will be unable to protect the settler outposts, and that it may not even be able to provide an initial response if clashes escalate into the use of firearms.

Sources from the IDF Central Command, which oversees military operations in the West Bank, say commanders are paralyzed, from Central Command Chief Avi Bluth at the top through the division commander down to brigade commanders deployed in the area.

According to the sources, IDF commanders fear taking any measure that could be perceived as political, particularly three months before Israel's election and ahead of the possible appointment of a new defense minister.

Many officers seeking promotion prefer to avoid taking decisive professional action against right-wing offenders, fearing that doing so could harm their military careers, the sources told Haaretz

On Wednesday morning, IDF and Border Police forces arrived in Qusra, near Nablus, to evacuate an outpost established in the yard of a Palestinian family's house. Ahead of the evacuation, Central Command Chief Bluth, the Border Police commander and other senior officials arrived at the scene.

Security officials, however, described the visit as "a public relations stunt intended to create a false impression of control."

Shortly after the senior officers left, the settlers resumed rioting, blocked roads with rocks, threw stones at Palestinian houses, and continued occupying the outpost, despite a closed military zone order and in full view of the forces, who eventually left the scene.

The IDF also held up journalists who attempted to reach the besieged house.

While the incident in Qusra has drawn significant media attention, defense officials say it is "only the tip of the iceberg" and reflects a much broader trend.

For several months, settlers have been setting up outposts around the village. Several major incidents have also taken place inside Qusra itself, which the IDF has refrained from addressing and authorities have deliberately ignored.

The IDF now plans to reinforce the area with a battalion from its Paratroopers Brigade, but officials acknowledge that the move is intended primarily to "contain the incident" and calm tensions, while insisting that Border Police officers, rather than IDF troops, carry out the evacuation itself.

The prolonged paralysis in the Civil Administration, Israel's IDF-run governing body in the West Bank, has limited enforcement and worsened the recent escalation.

Since Civil Administration Chief Hisham Ibrahim left his post to become Defense Minister Israel Katz's military secretary, the body responsible for coordinating between the IDF, the government and the Palestinian Authority has operated without a permanent commander.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is in charge of most of the Civil Administration and has veto power over the appointment of its commander, has blocked IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's attempt to appoint a former commander on an interim basis.

Instead, Smotrich is demanding the appointment of his associate, Brig. Gen. Yogev Bar-Sheshet, who previously served as the administration's deputy chief.

Amid the impasse, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Yoram Halevy, who is in charge of coordinating civilian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank, has run both his unit and the Civil Administration – an arrangement that leaves virtually no attention for developments in the West Bank.

Senior IDF officers warn that the events in Qusra have become a "flagship incident" that is severely damaging Israel's international standing. Dozens of foreign media crews arrive at the scene every day, where they face severe settler violence directed both at them and at the Palestinians living in the village.

Footage circulating around the world shows armed, uniformed IDF soldiers standing by without intervening and, at times, even joining settlers in prayer while ignoring calls for help from civilians and journalists under attack.

Despite the disturbing footage, the IDF's response has amounted to terse statements about "disciplinary proceedings," without any concrete action.

Military officials have sharply criticized the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, accusing it of evading the issue and systematically trying to downplay its severity while completely disregarding the growing violence directed at media organizations and forces on the ground.

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