Israel reopens once-closed West Bank settlement

Israel officially reopened the West Bank settlement of Ganim on Thursday, more than 20 years after it withdrew from the community, in a move emblematic of the current government's policy of rapid settlement expansion. The smell of freshly-poured asphalt hung in the air above Ganim's new and only street, where future residents and their families -- who had come to help with the move -- smiled at…

al-monitor.com ·1d ago

Israel has reopened a West Bank settlement, Ganim, more than 20 years after it was evacuated. According to Al-Monitor, the settlement was officially reopened on Thursday, with freshly-poured asphalt and new residents moving in. The Times of Israel reports that around two dozen prefabricated homes have been installed, with construction ongoing.

The reopening of Ganim comes amid continued Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank, which is considered illegal under international law. DW English reports that Israeli forces have moved to protect three homes in the village of Qusra, which had been surrounded by a group of Israeli settlers. One of the homes belongs to a Palestinian-American, Loui Ridi, who resides in Ohio.

The incident in Qusra prompted an unusually critical response from the US Ambassador to Israel, although DW News and The Times of Israel do not specify the ambassador's name, while DW English and France 24 mention it was an unusually sharp rebuke. Israeli forces intervened to move the residents of the besieged homes to another location, but they were not allowed to leave the area.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, DW English (Top Stories), DW News, France 24, The Times of Israel — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.