IDF Bans Face Coverings in Judea and Samaria Amid Surge in Violent Incidents
The IDF has banned face coverings in Judea and Samaria to combat nationalist crimes and terrorist attacks, imposing up to six months in prison, or two years if tied to an offense. The measure, which exempts religious and security-related coverings, targets both Jewish extremists and Palestinian terrorists using masks to evade justice.
Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, Commander of the IDF Central Command, issued a new order banning face coverings in public spaces across Judea and Samaria, targeting both Israeli citizens and Palestinian Arabs. The directive, announced the following day, imposes a six-month prison sentence for individuals caught concealing their faces, with penalties escalating to two years if the act occurs during the commission of a crime. The measure aims to combat nationalist crimes and acts of Jewish terrorism, where perpetrators often use masks to hide their identities, particularly in violent attacks against Palestinian communities. Exceptions are made for face coverings worn for religious purposes or by security personnel during operational duties.
The order also addresses the frequent use of face coverings by Palestinian terrorists to avoid detection during attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces. In incidents like the May 2025 murder of Tze’ela Gez and her newborn son in Samaria, Hamas-affiliated attackers used masks to conceal their identities, complicating efforts to apprehend them swiftly. The IDF’s directive aims to disrupt this tactic, ensuring terrorists cannot exploit anonymity to carry out ambushes or bombings, which have surged since the October 7th massacre by Hamas.
Maj. Gen. Bluth, who assumed command in July 2024, previously led counterterrorism operations in Jenin and has emphasized “zero tolerance” for violence of any kind. “We will not blink on the issue, and will do what is good and right for the State of Israel,” Bluth stated at his appointment ceremony. The IDF maintains the policy is crucial for “proper governance and public order” in a region plagued by over 1,200 terrorist incidents in 2025. The directive follows increased scrutiny of settler violence, with 31 administrative detentions of Israelis issued under Bluth’s predecessor, prompting Defense Minister Israel Katz to recently end such measures for Jewish residents.