Jewish Families Settle in Eight Homes Purchased Near Jericho
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Jewish families have occupied eight houses purchased near Jericho in the West Bank, an operation organized by the Nahala movement and supported by the Binyamin Regional Council. The homes are located in Area C, under Israeli control, and organizers aim to re-establish a permanent Jewish presence near the city. This move, seen as symbolic due to Jericho's history with the Oslo Accords, has been praised by regional council leaders as a step toward reversing past withdrawals. The initiative follows similar controversial settlements in other West Bank locations.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Eight Jewish families settled in houses purchased near Jericho in the West Bank on Wednesday.
- The Nahala movement organized the discreet operation, supported by the Binyamin Regional Council.
- The homes are located in Ein Diouk al-Tahta village in Area C, under Israeli control.
- Organizers aim to re-establish a permanent Jewish residential presence near Jericho.
- Leaders called the settlement a historic advancement and a reversal of the Oslo Accords.
- Similar settlement initiatives have previously caused legal and security controversies.
Jewish families took possession of eight houses acquired near Jericho in the West Bank on Wednesday, in a discreet operation secured by the IDF. The initiative, led by the Nahala settlement movement with support from the Binyamin Regional Council, aims to re-establish a Jewish residential presence near the city, which has been under Palestinian administration since the Oslo Accords. The homes are located in the village of Ein Diouk al-Tahta, north of Jericho, on land in Area C, which is under Israeli civilian and security control. Situated near the archaeological site of the Hasmonean palaces, they are also adjacent to Area A, administered by the Palestinian Authority. Organizers stated that the properties were purchased at market price and that documentation confirms their acquisition. The operation was prepared in secrecy, with logistical and security measures in place to facilitate the families' settlement. This move carries significant symbolic weight, as Jericho was the first city transferred to the Palestinian Authority in 1994 under the Oslo Accords. While the houses are in Area C, their occupation is seen by organizers as a first step toward a permanent Jewish presence in Jericho's urban environment. Similar initiatives in Hebron and East Jerusalem have previously led to legal controversies over property acquisition and security tensions. Israel Gantz, president of the Binyamin Regional Council and the Yesha Council, hailed the move as a historic advancement, stating, "Jericho is the gateway of the people of Israel to their land. With the Oslo Accords, Israel abandoned it, and we continue today to pay the price of this withdrawal." He added, "We are beginning today to reverse the trend. We are dismantling the Oslo Accords by deeds, house by house, family by family. We bought these assets at a high price and we are returning home." Daniella Weiss, president of the Nahala movement, described the settlement as the realization of a long-standing project to renew Jewish presence in major West Bank cities. Organizers also highlighted the symbolic timing, coinciding with the upcoming weekly Torah portion Hayé Sarah, which recounts Abraham's purchase of the Tomb of the Patriarchs. "We are opening a new chapter today in the history of Jewish settlement in Jericho," Weiss stated.
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