Israel’s Army Radio has reported that Israel’s internal intelligence service, Shin Bet, was likely to recommend that the government reinstate administrative detention for violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, as the violence has reached record levels in recent months.

The measure was ended in November by then-Defence Minister Israel Katz. It allows Israeli authorities to hold people without charge or trial.

The far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has expressed his opposition to reinstating the policy, saying he hopes “the defence minister will not agree to this under any circumstances”.

“The decision to neutralise the use of this draconian tool was brave and correct – it is undemocratic and dangerous,” Smotrich said.

Despite his opposition on what appear to be principled grounds, however, Israeli authorities continue to use administrative detention routinely against Palestinians.

The Israeli NGO B’Tselem said that as of June this year, more than 3,000 Palestinians were being held in administrative detention.