![Israeli soldiers and armed Israeli settlers are seen in an olive grove in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron in the West Bank, Palestine as Israeli forces prevent Palestinians and foreign activists supporting them from harvesting olives and force them to leave the area on October 13, 2026. [Mamoun Wazwaz - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AA-20261013-42738476-42738469-ISRAELI_FORCES_PREVENT_PALESTINIANS_FROM_HARVESTING_OLIVES_IN_WEST_BANK.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has approved an expansion of firearm license eligibility to residents of 11 Israeli settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank, prompting condemnation from Hamas amid escalating settler violence against Palestinians.
According to Israel’s Channel 14, the decision adds 11 settlements and outposts in the northern West Bank to the list of locations whose residents are eligible to apply for firearm permits.
The measure is intended to strengthen security preparedness within the settlements by allowing eligible residents to apply for licenses to carry firearms.
In a statement issued Thursday, Hamas condemned the decision, describing it as an “explicit call for killing and displacement” of Palestinians.
READ: Two Palestinians injured in settler attack as women detained during West Bank olive harvest
The movement warned that expanding settlers’ access to firearms would further intensify violence against Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank.
Hamas described the measure as another escalation of Israeli policies involving the arming of settlers, accusing the Israeli government of enabling attacks against Palestinian civilians.
It said the decision provided “additional cover for the commission of further crimes against the citizens, their land, and their property.”
The movement also accused Israeli authorities of cooperating with settler groups in targeting Palestinians and their property.
Hamas warned that the expansion of firearm eligibility could contribute to further confrontations in the West Bank, while asserting that such measures would not undermine Palestinian resistance.
The decision comes amid growing concerns over settler attacks against Palestinian communities, particularly in areas surrounding Israeli settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank.
READ: Israel’s Ben-Gvir boasts of Gaza’s destruction, mocks Palestinian residents in AI-generated video
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