Israel Reestablishes SaNur Settlement in West Bank

Israeli ministers gathered on Sunday to celebrate the reestablishment of the SaNur settlement in the northern West Bank, a site evacuated nearly two decades ago, as part of a broader push to expand Israeli communities in the occupied territory. The event, held southwest of Jenin, drew Defence Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, along with new residents including Shomron Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan, one of those displaced in 2005.

SaNur was dismantled in 2005 under Israel's disengagement plan, which removed settlers from Gaza and four West Bank communities including SaNur, Homesh, Ganim and Kadim. The plan, promoted by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, aimed to reduce Israel's presence in densely populated Palestinian areas for security reasons. The move remains contentious among Israel's right-wing factions, who view it as a mistake. Authorities have now approved 126 housing units in SaNur, with 16 families moving in recently. The government has also greenlit the revival of the other three evacuated West Bank sites and plans to legalize dozens of unauthorized outposts.

At the ceremony, Smotrich described the...