Israel reopens Ganim settlement in West Bank after 20 years
New: Ganim is the third settlement revived from four sites Israel evacuated in 2005.
Israel formally reopened the Ganim settlement in the West Bank on Aug. 13, more than two decades after the area was emptied under Ariel Sharon’s 2005 disengagement plan. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attended the opening ceremony, as about 100 people gathered at the site, which now has about two dozen prefabricated homes and is connected to the power grid. Under Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, settlement expansion has accelerated, including the reactivation of Ganim, Sa-Nur and Homesh. Nearby Palestinians fear the new construction will further restrict access and drive displacement, after soldiers demolished shops and closed several dirt roads leading to Palestinian communities.