Israel's defense "will not arbitrarily detain West Bank settlers"

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said he will suspend administrative detention of his country's settlers living in the West Bank.

According to local media, Minister Katz said in a statement on the 22nd local time, "It is not appropriate for Israel to impose such harsh measures on settlers."

Administrative detention is the temporary detention of recruits without formal prosecution or trial proceedings, and Israel has mainly applied it to Palestinian terror suspects under military law in the West Bank, which it seized during the Third Middle East War in 1967.

In addition, some extremist Jews who live in the West Bank and use violence against local residents are sometimes detained in administrative custody.

"In Palestine, West Bank settlements are under serious terrorist threats, and unfair international sanctions are being imposed against the settlers," Katz said.

He also condemned violence against Palestinians, but explained that he is seeking alternatives to administrative detention, saying that if there is a criminal charge, the perpetrator can be prosecuted, and if not, other precautions can be taken.

Earlier, 16 Israelis were detained administratively under former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and far-right factions of Israel's coalition have criticized the move against the ruling Likur party.