The Israeli government has relaxed weapons control laws in reaction to the October 7 Hamas attack, expediting the application procedure and granting permits. Since then, the Ministry of National Security has received over 260,000 additional applications for handgun permits, and it is currently approving up to 3,000 permits every day—a substantial rise from the pre-attack rate of 100 approvals per day.
Minister of National Security Ben Gvir has promised to give away 10,000 free firearms, including 4,000 rifles, to settlers in the West Bank that is under occupation. Gvir added that adult civilian Sderot residents—a community that Hamas targeted—would be eligible to buy firearms automatically.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel's executive director, Noa Sattath, voiced concerns about the government's efforts to circumvent legal requirements in order to promote a greater presence of firearms. She brought up the fact that these laws are enacted more quickly as emergency rules, circumventing the regular parliamentary process and leading to less supervision.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the government's actions by claiming that increasing the number of firearms is a necessary precaution, saying that "unforeseen events can occur when more weapons are distributed." That is existence." Israel is thinking about arming Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank with heavier equipment, such as shoulder-fired missiles. According to Palestinian media, this action is a reaction to possible tensions in the West Bank rising in anticipation of settlement storming.
According to Palestinian sources, since the start of the Gaza Strip conflict, West Bank settlements have experienced fortification efforts, such as the placement of machine guns and bombs. In addition, measures to avoid infiltration are being taken throughout construction. In addition, the Israeli Army is recruiting settlers who have never served in the armed forces to act as defense militia within the settlements in which they live.