Thirty Israeli settler families arrived in the northern West Bank settlement of Kadim on Thursday, re-establishing a community dismantled two decades ago under the 2005 Disengagement Plan. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attended the opening ceremony and announced plans to establish 19 new settlements across the northern West Bank.
Kadim was one of four settlements evacuated under then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's withdrawal, alongside Homesh, Sa-Nur, and Ganim. The Israeli parliament amended the 2005 disengagement law in early 2023, paving the way for settlers to return. The settlement of Emek Dotan was formally opened last Sunday, and Ganim was reopened last week.
The government has approved more than 100 new West Bank settlements since late 2022, while two new military bases and an outpost on seized Palestinian land are under construction near Jenin. Israeli elections are scheduled for October.