Israeli Families Resettle Northern Samaria Settlement 21 Years After Evacuation

Twenty-one years after the evacuation of northern Samaria settlements, families from the Ganim community returned to reestablish their settlement on Thursday. The move follows a government decision led by Minister Bezalel Smotrich to formalize and resettle dozens of communities in the area. The returning families were provided with dozens of caravans and the establishment of a branch of the Bnei David institutions at the site.

Alongside Ganim, the settlements of Homesh and Sha-Nur have also been reoccupied, with the community of Kadim expected to follow soon, completing the reversal of the disengagement from northern Samaria. Minister Smotrich hailed the return as erasing "the disgrace of the expulsion" and emphasized the expansion from four to eighteen settlements in the region, including eleven new ones established this summer.

Smotrich highlighted the security implications of resettling Samaria, stating that Israeli presence there strengthens the country's security belt and protects major cities such as Afula, Beersheba, Kfar Saba, and Netanya. He asserted that this move undermines the concept of a Palestinian state and affirms Israel's permanent sovereignty over the land.

The resettlement effort is part of a broader initiative to solidify Israeli control and presence in the northern West Bank, reflecting a strategic and ideological commitment by the government to these communities.