The statement from Otzma Yehudit Party indicated that the Israeli extremist national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, commanded the Firearms Licensing Department to boost the number of newly granted permits from an estimated 2,000 to 10,000 every month.
One might not find it unusual to observe illegal settlers openly carrying firearms or retired soldiers with their military arms, particularly in settlements across the occupied territories. However, the new regulations on gun ownership will almost certainly cause more apprehension about the potential for increased violence against Palestinians.
In January, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, promised to quickly process gun licenses for Israeli settlers and to increase the efforts of retrieving “unauthorized firearms“.
Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, cautioned that arming civilians would only provoke more violence and bloodshed.
Israeli occupation forces conducted a devastating raid on the city of Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp in the North of the Israeli–occupied West Bank last week, resulting in the deaths of ten Palestinians—one of the bloodiest raids in recent years.
In the last few months, the Israeli occupation have been intensifying their assaults on Palestinian towns in order to suppress the growing Palestinian resistance in occupied cities. This has resulted in numerous Palestinians losing their lives and a large number of arrests. So far this year, a total of 42 Palestinians, including nine children, have been killed.
Ben–Gvir‘s past of promoting violence against Palestinians is the basis for the current order.
He menacingly brandished a gun in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem in mid–October 2022, yelling “Don‘t forget that I‘m your landlord here!” He then directed settlers to shoot at Palestinians who were throwing stones to oppose the occupation.
Ben-Gvir has kept to his strict beliefs since joining Netanyahu‘s far-right cabinet as a minister.
He warned Palestinians engaging in retaliatory activities against Israeli forces and settlers at the end of last month that they would be put in “electric chairs“.
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