Israeli settler administrative detention dispute

In late July 2026, the Israeli military appellate committee for the Judea and Samaria area overturned an administrative order that forced settler Tel Dradik (also referred to as Tel Yinnon Deradik) to remain under house arrest at his mother‑in‑law’s home. The panel ruled that the Central Command chief lacked authority to impose the restriction and instructed the Israel Defense Forces to find an alternative detention arrangement, while also ordering continued monitoring of Dradik’s medical condition. Dradik, who had been on a hunger strike for about three weeks, experienced fainting episodes and a deteriorating health outlook.

On the same day, Rabbi Yossef Mendelblitz, known from the “Operation Wedding” saga, sent a direct appeal to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant demanding the immediate revocation of the administrative detention order against Dradik. The rabbi referenced a prior collaboration with Gallant and compared the case to the release of Jonathan Polard, urging swift action. He also criticized the broader use of administrative detention against settlers in the West Bank, echoing calls from Knesset members and Likud leaders for an end to such orders.