IDF and Shomron Council Reestablish First Homes in Evacuated Ganim Settlement After 21 Years

In a historic development in northern Samaria, the Shomron Regional Council and Amana placed the first residential buildings this morning in the Ganim settlement, which was evacuated two decades ago during the disengagement. This move follows a recent government decision led by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to renew and strengthen settlements in northern Samaria. The professional teams from the Shomron Regional Council and Amana, accompanied by Council Head Yossi Dagan, who himself was expelled from Shaar-Nur and has since returned, oversaw the installation of the buildings on site.

This summer, dozens of families who graduated from Bnei David-Ali institutions will move in, and at the beginning of the month of Elul, a new pre-military yeshiva branch will open there, led by Rabbi Neria Bulak. Dagan described the day as "historic and emotional," emphasizing that 21 years after the expulsion, they are restoring the settlements uprooted in northern Samaria. He noted the return to Homesh and Shaar-Nur and the reestablishment of the first neighborhood in Ganim, with plans to revive additional settlements such as Kadim and many others that did not exist before the disengagement. "Those who opposed four Jewish settlements here will now see 18," he said.

This initiative is part of the Shomron Regional Council's broader plan, in cooperation with government ministries, to rebuild and fortify settlement in northern Samaria, including the construction of 18 new settlements. Families from Ganim recalled the destruction of northern Samaria settlements during the disengagement 21 years ago, noting the symbolic timing during the days of Bein HaMetzarim (the Three Weeks of mourning). They expressed hope and renewal as the first caravans and cranes arrived to revive the once desolate mountain.

Dagan expressed gratitude to the Israeli government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Katz, Finance Minister Smotrich, the IDF, and various military and civilian settlement authorities for their support. He pledged to continue working resolutely with supporters of the land until all northern Samaria settlements are fully reestablished, affirming, "The people of Israel live and return to all parts of their land."