Daijiworld Media Network – Jenin
Jenin, Aug 21: A new group of Israeli settlers has returned to the former settlement of Kadim in the northern West Bank, nearly two decades after it was evacuated as part of Israel’s 2005 unilateral disengagement plan.
Around 30 Israeli families arrived at the site on Thursday, according to the regional settlers’ council. The settlers travelled from Tel Aviv in groups, with some vehicles accompanied by military personnel and carrying household belongings and construction materials.
Kadim, located on a hill outside the Palestinian city of Jenin, was among four Israeli settlements dismantled in 2005. The move at the time saw Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers withdrawn from the area, while Israel subsequently prohibited renewed settlement there.
The ban was recently overturned by Israel’s current government, paving the way for the return of settlers. Kadim is now the fourth and final settlement evacuated in 2005 to be reopened, following the return of settlers to Ganim, Sanur and Homesh.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attended the reopening ceremony along with other senior officials. He described the return as a reversal of the 2005 evacuation and said the settlers had returned to what he referred to as northern Samaria.
The development has raised concern among Palestinians living in villages surrounding the settlement. Residents have alleged increased restrictions, harassment and damage to Palestinian businesses and agricultural land as settlement activity expands in the area.
Palestinian officials have also expressed concern over the construction of new Israeli military positions around Jenin. The Israel Defence Forces confirmed that a military outpost being built near Jenin Refugee Camp was ordered in response to operational requirements.
The renewed settlement activity comes amid a broader expansion of Israeli settlements across the West Bank. Palestinian authorities and international observers have repeatedly raised concerns over the impact of settlement expansion on Palestinian communities and prospects for a negotiated political settlement.
Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal, while Israel disputes this position.