Israeli Cabinet Approves New Jewish Settlement 'Sha-Nur East' in Northern West Bank

The Israeli security cabinet is set to approve the establishment of a new independent Jewish settlement named "Sha-Nur East" in the northern West Bank today. The decision, led by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Deputy Defense Minister Bezalel Smotrich, aims to strengthen Israel's hold on a strategically critical area along Highway 60, surrounded on all sides by Palestinian Authority-controlled villages.

The new settlement will be built on state-owned land east of the existing Sha-Nur settlement, near Highway 5725 and close to the vital Highway 60 corridor. It is planned to include several hundred housing units and will serve as a fortified barrier to maintain security and Israeli presence in the region. The settlement will operate under the Shomron Regional Council and will be granted independent municipal status.

The government will allocate the land through the Civil Administration's property officer in the West Bank to the Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization under long-term lease agreements for residential construction and infrastructure development. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure will immediately begin planning and implementing essential utilities such as electricity, water, and sewage for the new community.

Officials from right-wing parties emphasized that this move continues a series of significant cabinet decisions made between 2023 and 2026 to regulate and establish dozens of new settlement points. The initiative is presented as a direct response to unilateral Palestinian Authority efforts to create a de facto state and is described as a decisive Zionist answer to security threats and international pressures. The new settlement is hailed as a major advancement for Jewish settlement in the West Bank, reinforcing Israeli sovereignty and development in the area.