Israeli Police Plan to Establish Security Force for Area C in the West Bank

Moshe Pinchi, commander of the Judea and Samaria District in the Israeli Police, has put forward a new plan to bridge the gap resulting from security agencies' inability to handle escalating violent incidents in Area (C), which is under full Israeli control.

The plan stipulates the establishment of an operational and investigative force comprising approximately 700-800 police officers and combat personnel, deployed across a region extending from the southern Hebron Hills to the northern West Bank.

Israel is attempting to address the worsening field problem caused by security authorities' failure to fully cope with the increasing pace of such events in the mentioned area, according to the "Yedioth Ahronoth" newspaper.

The newspaper reported that "friction incidents, violence, and nationalist-motivated crimes in Area (C) have worsened due to gaps in coordination between the Israeli Police, the Army, and the General Security Service (Shin Bet), as well as the limited field presence of the Judea and Samaria District Police and military forces."

The core of the plan - which has not yet received approval from the Police Commissioner and the Minister - lies in establishing "Brigade C"; an integrated multi-agency force designed to provide effective, rapid, and comprehensive response, specifically in areas where a security vacuum has emerged.

As part of the planning process, the police conducted a thorough survey of locations within Area (C) characterized as friction hotspots.

The plan aims to establish a response framework based on continuous presence, with the goal of preemptively preventing acts of violence or ensuring rapid access to the site if they occur.

According to this concept - which was presented to various stakeholders in the defense establishment during its development phase - the proposed force will not deal with crimes committed inside Jewish settlements, but will focus on friction cases occurring in open areas.

This arrangement would allow the military district commander to focus directly on counter-terrorism, while "Brigade C" forces handle friction incidents. Practically, this means expanding police capabilities under the umbrella of the military institution.

The newspaper notes that the general strategic idea of forming a dedicated force for operations in "Area C" came at the initiative of the head of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Major General Yoram Halevi.

It stated that "although similar proposals were raised in the past, no suitable solution was reached at that time; because such a force would necessarily have to operate under the army's umbrella, as it is the sovereign authority in the West Bank."