(MENAFN) In an unprecedented development, settlers in the occupied West Bank are conducting organized firearms training through paramilitary groups and formations, similar to Israeli military training camps. These settlers have established their own training grounds in multiple areas of the West Bank, with assistance from the Israeli army and, in some cases, special units. Settlement expert Salah al-Khawaja explained that this training is part of a broader agenda involving figures like Ben Gvir, Smotrich, and Netanyahu. It aims not only at arming settlers but also at creating what Ben Gvir has referred to as a "National Army" – a force of organized militias equipped with military-style systems and regulations. These groups are being provided with all necessary training and equipment, including a special budget under the pretext of protecting settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Al-Khawaja highlighted the dangerous nature of these developments, noting that approximately 170,000 settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem are armed with nearly 90,000 American-made weapons. These settlers are often either regular soldiers, reservists, or participants in the Civil Administration, having undergone up to three years of military training. Their militias are closely coordinated with the Zionist security services and the Civil Administration, and settlers are frequently involved in identifying and targeting Palestinians by monitoring their vehicles. Recent reports show that settlers have begun more specialized training. For example, soldiers from the "Davdafan" group – a special unit within the Israeli army – have been overseeing the training of select settler groups. This training prepares them to conduct operations in Palestinian villages and towns. Al-Khawaja warned that these groups are becoming more organized, similar to the paramilitary organizations like the Haganah and Al-Arjuan, which played a key role in massacres before 1948 and later contributed to the formation of the Israeli military.

The expert believes these preparations are part of a larger strategy to create a permanent settler militia in the West Bank, particularly in anticipation of annexing Area C. He also suggests that these militias could be used in various roles, including protecting settlements, checkpoints, and conducting incursions. Awad Abu Samra, another expert, added that settlers have recently created small shooting ranges and camps for training, with some sites now being used to prepare for more aggressive actions like storming Palestinian villages. He pointed out that after seizing land from the village of Turmus'ayya, settlers began using it as a training ground for these operations. This increasing militarization of settler groups is raising concerns over the potential for escalating violence in the West Bank, with well-organized settler militias increasingly acting with the backing of the Israeli military and security apparatus.

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