New Settlements in Northern Samaria Face Housing Costs and Infrastructure Challenges
Twenty-one years after the disengagement, new and re-established settlements in northern Samaria are attracting residents, but the practical question of cost remains paramount. A "Chaim Ve'chesed" investigation examined four settlements: two re-established after being evacuated during the 2005 disengagement, and two entirely new communities. The study assessed the monthly rental costs for various-sized mobile homes, revealing costs ranging from approximately 1,300 to 2,600 shekels per month.
Homesh, originally established in 1978 and evacuated in 2005, has seen families return since its redefinition as a settlement in December 2025. Residents currently live in mobile homes, with rental prices for a 48-square-meter unit at 1,300 shekels per month. The settlement faces infrastructure challenges, including water delivery via tanker at a significant cost per cubic meter for residents exceeding basic allowances. While a kindergarten and daycare operate, essential services like a grocery store and a school are still absent.
Ganot, another settlement evacuated in 2005, also began its resettlement in August 2026. Mobile homes of 48 square meters rent for about 1,320 shekels monthly. The community relies on generators for electricity, leading to frequent outages, and a water tower for its supply. Similar to Homesh, it has a kindergarten and daycare but lacks a grocery store and other amenities.
Two new settlements, Eival and Noa, are also developing. Eival, home to 14 families, offers mobile homes with similar rental prices. The community is working on permanent housing and has a yeshiva branch and a kindergarten. Water infrastructure is under construction, and electricity is supplied by a solar farm. Future plans include a mikveh, grocery store, and playground.
Noa also features mobile homes within the same price range. Residents pay higher electricity rates due to reliance on a community generator. Children attend kindergarten in the nearby settlement of Ganot or are bussed to Beit She'an for schooling. A multi-purpose building serves as a synagogue and meeting place, with plans for additional structures.
