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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem

Settler-only IDF units functioning as ‘vigilante militias’ in West Bank

Palestinians cover their heads from a stun grenade on a gravel road
Palestinians cover their heads from a stun grenade as Israeli troops deny farmers access to harvest olives in Burqa, near Ramallah, in the West Bank. Photograph: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters

Israel’s army has become a vehicle for violent settlers to escalate their campaign against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, with reserve units drawn from settlements functioning as vigilante militias, according to Israeli soldiers and activists, and the United Nations.

Hagmar, or regional defence units, were set up across the West Bank from October 2023, as conscripts and the standing army deployed there prepared to move to Gaza.

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