Judea and Samaria District Police and Shin Bet security services served 12 West Bank settlers with administrative restraining orders overnight on Monday.

The orders were served in the wake of intelligence gathered by the Shin Bet, according to which a group of extremists have been involved in leading, planning and carrying out widespread secret, violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank over the last two years.

Attacks include arson attacks on a number of mosques, vehicles and buildings belonging to Palestinians, causing real danger to human life and disruption of the public order and security in the area.

GOC Central Command Avi Mizrahi, issued the twelve restraining orders for residents the Yitzhar settlement near Nablus in the West Bank. Ten of the orders are six months to one year in duration, and refer to the entire area of Judea and Samaria. The remaining two orders specify the area of Yitzhar.

This was the second or third time that some of the recipients received restraining orders.

Although the Shin Bet already had intelligence pointing to these activities last year, Major-General Mizrahi only served the orders in the wake of violence that has broken out in the area this past month.

National Union MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari said in response that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is adopting a system of “hitting the settlers to save his skin.”