Hillel Roth studied at Yeshiva Od Yosef Chai. He previously lived in the settlement Yitzhar and currently resides in the settlement Revava. Since May 2024 he has served as the Deputy Head of the Civil Administration for Civil Affairs, after years of experience working in organizations at the vanguard of the settlement movement. In 2004, Roth served as financial and administrative officer for Honenu, which provides legal aid to Israelis suspected of ideologically-motivated offenses against Palestinians. He later served as treasurer of Shomron Regional Council and then as deputy executive director of Bnei Akiva Yeshivot and Ulpanot Center.

In May 2024, Roth was appointed Deputy Head of the Civil Administration for Civil Affairs as part of a bid to place civilians, directly subordinate to Israeli ministers and government offices, inside the military mechanism that controls the West Bank for the very first time. This required the Commander of the Military Forces in the West Bank to amend the Order regarding the Establishment of the Civil Administration (despite its name, the Civil Administration is a military unit) to enable appointing and delegating governing powers to a civilian deputy. Numerous military orders, laws and regulations grant Roth dozens of powers pertaining to land, planning and building, declaration of state land, expropriating land, administering settlement councils, infrastructure, antiquities, nature reserves and enforcement. As such, most Civil Administration staff and staff officers responsible for these areas now answer to Roth.

Despite his title, Roth is not professionally subordinate to Head of the Civil Administration. His work is guided by the Settlement Administration, a civilian mechanism that answers directly to Minister Smotrich, rather than by the military chain of command. Legal counsel for his powers was transferred from the hands of the Military Advocate General’s Corps to the (civilian) Legal Advisor to the Defense Establishment. According to the Settlement Administration and Civil Administration’s work protocol, practical control over central matters was transferred to Roth, a civilian answering to an Israeli political mechanism even though his title allegedly refers to the military unit that is the Civil Administration. Thus, the appearance of a military regime is maintained.

Roth’s appointment as deputy head of the Civil Administration was presented openly as a political goal. Minister Orit Strock described him as “Bezalel Smotrich’s executive arm”, adding that the Civil Administration must “follow his orders”. After Roth’s appointment, Smotrich explained that Roth signs orders and expropriation orders, summons the Higher Planning Council, declares state land and oversees the staff officers. Smotrich concluded that “all the civilian powers” are in Roth’s hands.