WEST BANK, (PIC)
Israeli media reports revealed on Monday that the Israeli government has launched a program to financially support extremist settler groups operating in the occupied West Bank, despite accusations linking them to repeated attacks against Palestinians and their property.
According to the Israeli news outlet Ynet, the government has approved financial assistance for members of the “Hilltop Youth” movement, including daily stipends of 50 shekels per settler through vouchers for food and clothing purchases. Israeli authorities claim the initiative is intended to reduce violence among young settlers.
Documents from Israel’s Ministry of Settlements reportedly show that the program targets a movement known for its involvement in establishing unauthorized outposts, seizing Palestinian land, and contributing to the displacement of Palestinian and Bedouin communities through repeated acts of intimidation and violence.
The plan is expected to receive a budget of 5.5 million shekels through the end of the year, with funds distributed through regional settlement councils and administrators of settlement outposts built on confiscated or seized Palestinian land.
According to the report, 657 settlers across several areas of the West Bank, including Ramallah, Nablus, the Jordan Valley, the Hebron hills, and southern Bethlehem, are expected to benefit from the program.
The food and clothing subsidies form part of a broader government initiative valued at approximately 120 million shekels and involving multiple ministries, including the Army Ministry, Education Ministry, and Ministry of Settlements.
The Ministry of Settlements, headed by Minister Orit Strock, is also reportedly financing additional projects in settlement outposts, while the Army Ministry supports programs to encourage Hilltop Youth members to enlist in the military.
The report noted that some Israeli security officials have criticized the program, arguing that authorities are failing to enforce the law against members of the group despite their alleged involvement in attacks against Palestinians and, in some cases, Israeli soldiers.
Last month, Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth reportedly warned that escalating settler violence had brought the situation “one step away from a major disaster.”
The Israeli government maintains that the program is designed to provide educational and social frameworks for young settlers, prevent their involvement in violence, and strengthen their ties to state institutions.
The revelations come amid a surge in settler attacks across the West Bank. The United Nations has documented more than 1,000 incidents since the beginning of 2026 affecting hundreds of Palestinian communities and causing injuries as well as extensive damage to property and livelihoods.
A report issued on June 9 by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry also concluded that Israeli authorities have provided financial, military, and protective support to settlers involved in attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.