Families Repopulate Homesh Settlement Two Decades After Disengagement Following Repeal of Historic Evacuation Legislation

Ten families move into Homesh as the Israeli government finalizes the legalization and repopulation of the settlement evacuated in 2005.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 12, 2026, 11:11 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

A Ceremonial Reversal of the Disengagement Plan

The formal repopulation of the Homesh settlement marks a definitive end to a two-decade-long evacuation policy in the northern West Bank. Ten families have taken up permanent residence in the community during a celebratory event attended by prominent political figures, including Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock and Likud MK Yuli Edelstein. This resettlement is the culmination of a multi-year effort to legalize a site that was once dismantled under the 2005 Disengagement plan. The event serves as a symbolic victory for the settlement movement, which has long viewed the original evacuation as a strategic and historical error.

Legislative Path to Settlement Legalization

The path toward repopulating Homesh was paved by a significant legislative shift in 2023, led by figures such as Yuli Edelstein. The government successfully repealed the specific laws that had authorized the evacuation of northern West Bank settlements like Homesh, Sa Nur, Ganim, and Kadim. This legal groundwork allowed the cabinet to formally approve the legalization of Homesh in May 2025. Although the settlement has been rebuilt on a slightly different site than its original 2005 location, it now carries full government authorization, providing the infrastructure necessary for permanent civilian life to return to the area.

Political Rhetoric and the "Rectification" of History

During the ceremony, government officials framed the return to Homesh as a necessary correction of past diplomatic policies. Minister Orit Strock described the settlement as the "arrowhead" in a broader mission to rectify what she labeled as the "sins" of the Disengagement and the Oslo Accords. This rhetoric highlights the ideological shift within the current coalition, which prioritizes the expansion of the Land of Israel over previous territorial compromise models. Pro-settlement dignitaries, including Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan, emphasized that Homesh is only the first of several evacuated sites intended for repopulation.