Israel has reinstated the settlement of Kadim in the occupied West Bank, reversing a decision made two decades earlier. Thirty families arrived at the settlement, located on a hillside near the Palestinian city of Jenin, traveling from Tel Aviv in convoys that included military escorts. The reoccupation was marked by an official ceremony attended by Israeli government officials, including the Finance Minister and Justice Minister, and representatives from the regional settlers’ council.
The settlement had been evacuated in 2005 as part of a broader disengagement plan that also resulted in the withdrawal of Jewish settlers and military forces from Gaza and three other northern West Bank settlements. At that time, authorities deemed the four settlements too isolated and costly to maintain. The Israeli government overturned the ban on Jewish settlement in this area, and Kadim is the final evacuation site from 2005 to be reopened; three others were already formally reopened with resident families.
The resettlement represents part of a larger expansion of Israeli settlements across the West Bank. The current Israeli government has approved more than 100 new settlements since taking office in late 2022, with 19 in the northern West Bank region alone. One analysis suggests the accelerated construction pace may be linked to upcoming Israeli elections scheduled for October, with settlement advocates working to establish facts on the ground before that vote.
Palestinian residents in adjacent communities have expressed significant apprehension about the renewed settlement activity. Local residents reported incidents including surveillance of their homes, attempts to enter private residences, and use of powerful floodlights directed at windows during nighttime hours. Additionally, Israel has begun constructing two new military bases in the area, and is building a military outpost on land under full Palestinian Authority control—the first such base established on such land since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. All Israeli settlements and settler outposts are considered illegal under international law, though outposts also violate Israeli domestic law despite often receiving state services and funding.
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