Israel reopens Ganim settlement in West Bank amid aid access concerns

Israel has officially reopened the Ganim settlement in the occupied West Bank, an area previously vacated by Israeli settlers 20 years ago under a 2005 disengagement plan. During the reopening ceremony, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, “Here, this is the Land of Israel. Here, we will live forever.” The site currently features dozens of prefabricated homes, and construction activities are ongoing. Yossi Dagan, head of the authority for northern West Bank settlements, noted that the era of evacuation has ended.

This move follows recent approvals by the Israeli security cabinet for new settlements in the region. In addition to Ganim, the settlements of Sa-Nur and Homesh have also been reopened.

Concurrently, the United Nations has reported significant obstacles to humanitarian operations in the West Bank. UN spokesperson Daniela Gross De Almeida stated that aid delivery is being hindered by a network of more than 900 physical barriers, including checkpoints, gates, and road blockades. These restrictions have left some Palestinian families isolated, such as in the village of Qusra near Nablus, where aid workers have been unable to reach residents due to extremist settler outposts and tightened access restrictions.