DaysofPal- In a significant reversal of long-standing policy, Israel has reoccupied the site of Sanur, a Palestinian village southwest of Jenin, to re-establish a settlement dismantled twenty years ago. The move marks the end of a two-decade hiatus following Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank. This restoration project highlights a period of unprecedented settlement growth that has intensified throughout the occupied territories since the end of 2023.
Several members of the Knesset and senior government officials attended a ceremony on Sunday marking the return to the site. Among them were Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are widely considered illegal under international law. During the event, Smotrich described the move as a “historic correction” and referred to Israel’s 2005 disengagement as a “sinful expulsion.” That withdrawal included the dismantling of all settlements in Gaza along with four in the West Bank, including Sanur.
The Israeli government has also approved plans to rebuild the three other West Bank settlements that were removed at the time. Smotrich said the decision represents a step toward eliminating the idea of a Palestinian state and called for renewed settlement construction in Gaza to form what he described as a security buffer.
Escalation and the Annexation Plan
Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi characterized the re-establishment of Sanur as a “dangerous escalation” aimed at erasing Palestinian presence. In a statement, the group said the expansion reflects a broader strategy aimed at consolidating control over Palestinian land.
Around 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live in approximately 300 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, all built since Israel captured the territories in the 1967 Middle East War.
The re-establishment of the Sanur settlement comes during a period of intensified settlement expansion. Earlier in April, Israeli authorities approved a record number of new settlements, according to local media reports. The decision included authorization for 34 new settlements in a single move, adding to dozens already approved since 2022, along with nearly 200 unauthorized outposts established over the same period.
According to the Israeli advocacy group Peace Now, settlement approvals reached unprecedented levels last year, with many unauthorized outposts later legalized by the government.
The expansion has coincided with a rise in settler violence. Recent weeks have seen multiple attacks targeting Palestinian communities, including arson, property destruction, and shootings.
A report by the United Nations, released on March 17, documented the displacement of more than 36,000 Palestinians in the West Bank between November 2024 and October 2025 due to escalating settler attacks. The same report recorded 1,732 incidents of settler violence causing casualties or property damage, marking a 25 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Since October 2023, Israeli occupation forces or settlers have killed over 1,151 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to data compiled by Agence France-Presse based on figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry.
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