Israel approves 126 illegal settler units in occupied West Bank outpost

Israel has approved the construction of 126 illegal settler housing units in the Sa-Nur settlement outpost in the northern occupied West Bank, which was evacuated in 2005 under Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan, Israeli media reported.

Channel 7 said the High Planning Council, which operates under Israel’s Civil Administration, approved a detailed plan that would allow illegal settlers to return to the Sa-Nur outpost.

Sa-Nur was evacuated in 2005 as part of the disengagement plan implemented by the government of then prime minister Ariel Sharon, which saw Israeli settlements and military bases removed from Gaza and four outposts in the northern occupied West Bank.

In March 2024, the Israeli parliament [Knesset] voted to repeal the disengagement law by passing legislation known as the "Cancellation of the Disengagement Law," reopening the door for illegal settlers to return to the evacuated areas.

Channel 7 reported that the newly approved plan is expected to take effect within about two months, clearing the way for settlers to re-establish a presence at Sa-Nur.

On December 23, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich instructed the High Planning Council to convene to consider approval of the 126 housing units.

At the time, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN quoted Smotrich as saying the decision corrected what he described as a "historic injustice" and advanced the Zionist vision "on the ground."

Palestinian authorities have repeatedly 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 genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, Palestinian officials say Israeli measures aimed at annexing the occupied West Bank have intensified, including home demolitions, forced displacement and settlement expansion.