The Israeli military has authorized Israelis to return to three former West Bank settlements from which they were banned since a 2005 evacuation, the defense ministry announced on Wednesday. These settlements—Sa-nur, Ganim, and Kadim—are located near the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus, known strongholds of militant groups in the northern West Bank.
A fourth settlement, Homesh, was cleared for re-entry last year after parliament amended the 2005 “disengagement law.” Military approval, necessary for any return to the other three settlements, has now been granted.
This decision coincides with three European countries formally recognizing the State of Palestine and amidst Israel’s ongoing military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It comes despite international pressure on Israel to halt settlement expansion in the West Bank, which Palestinians envision as the heart of a future independent state alongside Gaza.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated, “The Jewish hold on Judea and Samaria guarantees security. The application of the law to cancel disengagement will lead to the development of settlement and provide security to residents of the area,” using the biblical terms for the West Bank commonly used in Israel.
The Palestinian Authority has yet to comment on this development.
The 2022 amendment to the disengagement law was perceived as paving the way for re-establishing former West Bank settlements evacuated in 2005 under a plan by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. This plan mandated the evacuation of all 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank.
Currently, more than 500,000 Jewish settlers reside in the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war, with an additional 200,000 in East Jerusalem. While the international community largely considers these settlements illegal, Israel disputes this, citing historical, biblical, and security reasons.
Despite international objections, settlement expansion has persisted under successive Israeli governments.
