A military order signed this week by the head of Israel’s Central Command reveals that the footprint of the Homesh settlement in the northern West Bank will be doubled, incorporating surrounding areas that include Palestinian population points and effectively creating Palestinian enclaves.
The order, signed on Sunday by Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth at the initiative of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, was issued while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on an official visit to the United States.
According to the order, which was obtained by Ynet, all state lands in the designated area are included in the expanded jurisdiction, even where there is no continuous Jewish territorial link. Some Palestinian communities will remain enclosed within the expanded settlement area. In practical terms, the jurisdiction of Homesh has been expanded to 1,537 dunams, laying the groundwork for significant future growth.
In addition to Homesh, Bluth signed jurisdiction orders for seven other settlements: Yonadav in the Hebron Hills, Gvaot in Gush Etzion, Kedem Arava in Megillot, Yitav West in the Jordan Valley, Mount Ebal in Samaria, Bnei Adam in the Binyamin region and an expansion of Ofra.
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The judicial order signed by Central Command chief Bluth, obtained by ynet. In blue: the expansion of the Homesh settlement
The move allows, for the first time, formal planning, development and legal construction in these locations, some of which are currently uninhabited, including Mount Ebal.
The decision is part of a broader series of government steps in northern Samaria. Ynet reported last week that settlers are expected to return as early as the upcoming Purim holiday to the former settlement of Sa-Nur, where a zoning plan for 126 housing units has been approved. About two weeks ago, the government also approved the reestablishment of the evacuated settlements of Ganim and Kadim.
“This is a moment of historical correction,” Smotrich said in response to the order. “We are erasing the disgrace of the disengagement. This is another step toward strengthening settlement, deepening our hold on the land and preventing the establishment of a Palestinian terror state in the heart of the country.”
Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog group, criticized the move, saying the government is creating a massive settlement that will pose a serious security burden and involve the seizure of private Palestinian land. The group said the decision runs counter to Israel’s interests and amounts to de facto annexation of the West Bank.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan welcomed the decision, calling it a historic moment for settlement in the West Bank as a whole. He said the state is returning to Homesh after 20 years and strengthening its presence at Mount Ebal, which he described as a site of national and historical significance.
The developments come as Netanyahu meets with US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. While both leaders expressed broad agreement on major diplomatic and security issues, including Iran and the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Trump said the two did not fully agree on the West Bank.
“We had a big discussion on the West Bank, and we did not agree 100 percent,” Trump said. “But we will reach understanding. I know Netanyahu, and he will do the right thing.”
As Netanyahu continues his visit to the United States, Smotrich is pressing ahead with settlement-related measures in the West Bank.