In brief
Israeli settlers have returned to Kadim, a settlement in the West Bank that was sealed off in 2005, as part of a government push to expand settlements. The move follows the lifting of a 20‑year ban on Jewish presence in the Jenin area, prompting Palestinian residents to voice growing fear and anger. While the Israeli administration frames the return as a historic correction, international bodies consider the expansion illegal under global law. Palestinian villagers recount peaceful coexistence in earlier decades but now face disruptions, demolitions, and increased military presence. The reopening reflects a broader pattern of rapid settler expansion north of Israel ahead of the national elections.
Israel has reopened Kadim settlement in the West Bank after a 20‑year closure. Thirty pioneer families arrived on Thursday from Tel Aviv, riding with blue and white Israeli flags, bringing trailers loaded with bedding, furniture and building materials.
The settlement, located on a hillside outside Jenin, was evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan. The new government has overturned the 20‑year ban on Jewish presence in the area, allowing families to return.
Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, celebrated the return as a historic redress, citing the Biblical name for the northern West Bank. The ceremony was attended by senior politicians, with promises that settlers would one day return to Gaza as well.
Palestinian residents describe the reopening as a source of fear. One local farmer recounted watching Kadim’s construction, then its evictions, and now the return of settlers who have caused demolition of nearby shops and disruption of community life.
International law deems all Israeli settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank illegal. While some are considered illegal under Israeli law too, they often receive state support and funding.
The rapid reopening of Kadim is part of a broader trend – the Israeli government has approved more than 100 new settlements since late 2022, 19 of them in the northern West Bank. Other nearby settlements, such as Ganim, Sanur and Homesh, have already been reopened and families moved in.
The expansion reflects a race ahead of the October elections, with new settlements, military bases and infrastructure being built at a production speed that leaves little room for diplomatic resolution.
Palestinian authorities, such as the Governor for Jenin, warn that the seizure of land and the construction of new military bases signal a plan to house settlers within the heart of the city, echoing patterns seen in Hebron and Jerusalem.
The situation underscores the growing tension between settler expansion and international pressure, with Palestinian communities facing increased restrictions and violence.
