Israel approves construction of 126 settler units in West Bank outpost

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel approved on Wednesday the construction of 126 settler homes in the Sa-Nur settlement outpost in the northern West Bank, which was evacuated in 2005 under a unilateral disengagement plan, Israeli media reported.

The High Planning Council, which operates under the Civil Administration, approved a detailed plan allowing illegal settlers to return to Sa-Nur, according to Channel 7.

Sa-Nur was evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan, carried out by the government of then–Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, which removed Israeli settlements and military bases from the Gaza Strip and four outposts in the northern West Bank.

In March 2024, the Knesset voted to repeal the disengagement law by passing legislation known as the “Cancellation of the Disengagement Law.”

Channel 7 said the plan is expected to take effect within about two months, enabling illegal settlers to return to Sa-Nur.

On Dec. 23, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich instructed the High Planning Council to convene to discuss approval of the 126 units. At the time, the public broadcaster KAN quoted him as saying the decision corrects what he called a “historic injustice” and advances the Zionist vision “on the ground.”

Palestinian authorities have for decades called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, which the United Nations considers illegal under international law.

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian officials say Israeli measures aimed at annexing the West Bank have intensified, including home demolitions, forced displacement and settlement expansion.

The Israeli escalation across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has killed at least 1,104 Palestinians, wounded about 11,000 others and led to the arrest of more than 21,000 people.

Formal Israeli annexation of the West Bank would effectively end the viability of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, envisioned in multiple UN resolutions.

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

The High Planning Council, which operates under the Civil Administration, approved a detailed plan allowing illegal settlers to return to Sa-Nur, according to Channel 7.

In March 2024, the Knesset voted to repeal the disengagement law by passing legislation known as the “Cancellation of the Disengagement Law.”

Channel 7 said the plan is expected to take effect within about two months, enabling illegal settlers to return to Sa-Nur.

The Israeli escalation across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has killed at least 1,104 Palestinians, wounded about 11,000 others and led to the arrest of more than 21,000 people.

Formal Israeli annexation of the West Bank would effectively end the viability of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, envisioned in multiple UN resolutions.