Over 4,000 Families Register for New Settlements in Northern West Bank Amid Limited Capacity

More than 4,000 families have registered in recent months for a government-backed plan to establish 19 new settlements in northern Samaria (the northern West Bank). However, due to constraints in space, budget, and infrastructure, only a few hundred families can be accommodated in the initial phase, leaving thousands without placement in the existing settlement cores. The registration was part of the "Hitchabrut Plan," which promotes the creation of new communities in the area.

According to the Samaria Regional Council and the Emunah movement, the demand far exceeds the current capacity of the settlements under construction. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, acknowledged the disappointment of families not included in the first stage but assured that the program will continue and expand to absorb more families in subsequent phases.

About half of the registered families come from Judea and Samaria, with roughly 30% from central Israel and Jerusalem, including cities like Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, and Netanya. The plan has also attracted Jewish families from abroad, including Switzerland and Miami, considering immigration to Israel. Approximately 50% of registrants are young couples in their 20s, and 30% are aged 30 to 55. Around 40% work in education and healthcare, while 25% are employed in high-tech, engineering, and freelance professions.

The plan includes the four northern Samaria settlements evacuated during the Disengagement Plan, Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim, along with 15 additional new settlements. It is being advanced under government decisions led by Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Recently, a group of families settled in Har Eival, where a branch of the Alon Moreh Yeshiva operates. Plans call for graduates of the Eli Yeshiva to establish Ganim, graduates of Tel Aviv Yeshiva to populate Kadim, and a branch of the Baruchin Yeshiva to open in the Dotan Valley. Additional groups are preparing to settle in the coming months alongside the development of educational institutions and community infrastructure.