Israeli settlers return to West Bank as tensions surge

A new generation of Israeli settlers has returned to Kadim in the occupied West Bank, two decades after the settlement was dismantled by a previous Israeli government. Thirty “pioneer families” arrived on Thursday, signalling a dramatic acceleration of Israel’s settlement drive around Jenin.

The move comes as international pressure over settlement expansion grows and Palestinian residents warn that fear is spreading through their communities.

Kadim rises again after a 20-year ban

The settlers arrived in small groups under military escort, with Israeli flags flying from cars and trailers packed with furniture and building materials. White mobile homes have already appeared on the hillside outside Jenin.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that the return corrected the “crime” of the 2005 evacuation. Kadim is the last of four settlements dismantled that year to reopen, following Ganim, Sanur and Homesh.

Problems began even before most of the families moved in, schoolteacher Samer Jaber told the BBC

Palestinians fear the return will reshape daily life

For Palestinian farmers living nearby, the settlement’s return has revived memories of confrontation and displacement. One farmer said he feared bypass roads, land seizures and pressure on his family’s ability to work their fields.

At Emek Dotan, another newly established settlement west of Jenin, residents describe harassment and intimidation. Teacher Samer Jaber said groups had filmed his family, attempted to enter homes and shone floodlights through windows during the night.

“Fear dominates everything,” he said. “We are completely defenceless.”

Settlement expansion accelerates ahead of Israeli election

The developments form part of a much wider push. Since the current Israeli government took power in late 2022, it has approved more than 100 new settlements across the West Bank, including 19 around northern areas.

Peace Now says construction is accelerating ahead of Israel’s October election, while new military positions are also being built around Jenin.

The Palestinian Authority fears the expanding network could permanently alter the region’s geography, restricting movement and fragmenting Palestinian communities.

Kadim’s reopening is therefore more than a symbolic return. It marks another step in a rapidly changing West Bank — with Palestinians watching new caravans, military infrastructure and demolished businesses appear around them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn7n0l4p0kzo