Israeli Ministers Re-Establish Sa-Nur West Bank Settlement

Israeli Government Approves Sa-Nur Settlement in West Bank

The Israeli government has officially reopened the Sa-Nur settlement in the occupied West Bank, nearly 21 years after it was evacuated in 2005. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israel Katz attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday. According to reports, Smotrich stated that the reopening marked a “historic correction” to the expulsion of settlers from the area.

The government has approved 126 housing units in Sa-Nur, with 16 families now residing there. Yossi Dagan, head of the West Bank Settlements Council, described his return as a “personal closing of a circle.” The settlement was previously evacuated as part of Israel’s disengagement policy, which also saw settlers removed from Gaza.

In March 2023, the Knesset passed an amendment to the disengagement law prohibiting Israeli settlers from staying in former settlements. However, this ban does not apply to those who were already living there at the time. In December, two other former settlements, Ganim and Kadim, were recognized as settlements by the government.

The approval of Sa-Nur is part of a recent trend of settlement approvals in the West Bank. Since October 7, 2023, rights groups have reported an increase in settler violence, including the killing of a Palestinian in Deir Jarir on April 11. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has also noted that March was one of the deadliest months of settler violence on record.

In total, 34 new settlements were approved last month, bringing the total number of settlements approved since the formation of the government to 104.

Source: Al Jazeera