Together with Israel Police Chief Kobi Shabtai, and Prison Service Commissioner Lt. Gen. Katy Perry, Ohana decide that the use of police powers will be granted to prison guards while they carry out operational activities with the Operations Division of the Israel Police.
This will allow them to stop and search suspects and arrest them when necessary.
The exercise of police powers will be conditional, Shabtai emphasized, and will only be allowed while the forces are operating under the command of an approved police officer. The decision is a temporary one, and will be valid for 30 days from the moment of signing.
Ohana held a briefing to assess the situation after the decision had been passed.
"The soldiers in the Masada Unit are at the forefront of the prison service. This is a real elite unit, a skilled, experienced and professional force that knows how to respond to a wide range of scenarios. Under police direction, Masada fighters will be an irreplaceable force in the important task of controlling law and order in the riots," he said.
Security forces across the country are preparing for another night of violent riots which have yet to show signs of subsiding.