# Israel reopens West Bank settlement after 20 years 2026-08-13T13:25:50+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Israel officially reopened the West Bank settlement of Ganim on Thursday, more than 20 years after evacuating it under the 2005 disengagement plan. Defence Minister Israel Katz attended the ceremony, declaring, "Here, we are staying forever." The move is part of the current government's policy of rapid settlement expansion. About two dozen pre-fabricated homes have been installed, and construction machinery prepares new plots on the hillside. Palestinians in the valley below fear the construction will worsen their lives or lead to long-term displacement. Israeli forces have demolished stores and blocked dirt roads to Palestinian communities in recent days. Over 500,000 Israelis now live in West Bank settlements among some 3 million Palestinians. Settlement construction has soared under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, with three of the four evacuated communities officially re-established. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: Israel, Netanyahu, occupation, Palestinians, settlements, West Bank Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/israel-reopens-west-bank-settlement-after-20-years/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/israel-reopens-west-bank-settlement-after-20-years/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.