Israel has officially reopened the Ganim settlement in the occupied West Bank, more than two decades after it evacuated the community. The move highlights the Israeli government's push to expand settlements across the territory. Ganim was among the communities abandoned during Israel's 2005 withdrawal from parts of the northern West Bank.

Fresh asphalt covered the settlement's newly built and only road on Thursday as families arrived to help future residents move in. Around two dozen prefabricated homes have already been placed at the site. Construction workers and heavy machinery continued preparing more land on the hillside for additional houses.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz attended the reopening ceremony after arriving by helicopter. Addressing the gathering, Katz said, "Here, this is the Land of Israel. Here, we are staying forever,". His remarks reflected the government's support for expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Ganim was one of four Israeli settlements that Israel evacuated in 2005 under former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan. The other communities were Sa-Nur, Homesh and Kadim. Israel removed its residents from the settlements as part of the plan. Their isolated location in the northern West Bank, surrounded by Palestinian cities and villages, was one factor behind the withdrawal.

Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, Israel has significantly increased settlement construction and expansion in the West Bank. The government has also moved to officially re-establish three of the four settlements evacuated in 2005. Ganim, Sa-Nur and Homesh have all seen efforts to restore Israeli presence.

Around 100 people from Israel and other West Bank settlements attended Thursday's ceremony. The gathering included Katz and Yossi Dagan, who heads the Israeli authority responsible for settlements in the northern West Bank. Dagan described the reopening as a change in Israel's settlement policy. "The era of evacuation is over -- from here, we only build," Dagan said.

The reopening has raised concerns among Palestinians living in nearby communities. Palestinians who spoke to AFP said the new construction could make their daily lives more difficult. Some also fear it could eventually lead to displacement from their homes and surrounding areas.

Israeli forces have already taken steps that have affected nearby Palestinian communities. In recent days, the army demolished shops along both sides of the road connecting the settlement to Israel. It also blocked several dirt roads leading to Palestinian communities. The roads were closed using piles of rubble, restricting access to the affected areas.

The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. More than 500,000 Israelis now live in settlements across the territory, alongside around three million Palestinians. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, while Israel disputes this position.

Settlement expansion has become a major point of tension between Israelis and Palestinians. The issue has also drawn greater attention since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has increased sharply since the attack.

The reopening of Ganim therefore marks more than the return of residents to a settlement abandoned in 2005. It signals a broader policy shift under Netanyahu's government toward expanding and restoring Israeli settlements in the West Bank. With construction already underway and more homes planned, Palestinians in nearby areas fear further restrictions and pressure on their communities.