First Caravans Arrive to Rebuild Kadim Settlement 21 Years After Disengagement Evacuation

The first caravans arrived this morning at the Kadim settlement in northern Samaria, marking a historic step 21 years after the community was uprooted during Israel's disengagement plan. The initial residential structures were placed following extensive infrastructure work including earthworks, road paving, and installation of electricity, water, and sewage systems. Kadim is being reestablished by a unique group of families, mostly from Tel Aviv and central Israel, led by graduates of Zionist yeshivas and reservists from the recent "Sword of Iron" military operation.

This resettlement is part of the "Connection Plan" spearheaded by the Shomron Regional Council and the Amana settlement movement. The plan aims to rebuild the four settlements evacuated in northern Samaria, Kadim, Homesh, Sa-Nur, and Ganim, and establish 19 new communities in the area. This initiative follows a government decision led by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, under the broader "Million in Samaria" program.

Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan called the caravan arrival "the beginning of a large settlement with thousands of residents, children, and educational institutions," describing it as a rectification of the "shameful eviction". Dagan emphasized that the return to Kadim completes the restoration of all four evacuated settlements and predicted the population would multiply significantly. He stated, "Those who opposed Jews living in northern Samaria will now see 30 to 50 times more Jewish residents." Dagan credited the struggle of evacuees, the Homesh First movement, and government support for enabling this return, calling northern Samaria "the urban center of the State of Israel" and affirming the community's commitment to rebuilding the area.

The caravan placement represents the final stage before the first families move in this summer, signaling a major milestone in a two-decade effort to restore Jewish presence in the region.