Gallant Reopens Northern Shomron Areas, Repealing 2005 Disengagement Restrictions

By Yoni Weiss

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed on Wednesday to implement a bill repealing the Disengagement Law in certain northern Shomron areas, reopening them to Israelis for the first time since 2005.

The order will now allow Israeli citizens to return to the settlements of Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim, following last year’s access granted to Homesh.

“The bill’s implementation comes after extensive discussions that Defense Minister Gallant held with the council head and IDF officials,” Gallant’s office said in a joint statement with Shomron Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan.

However, IDF Central Command chief Major General Yehuda Fox signed a closure order on April 1 for the areas of Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim, preventing Israelis from currently entering these areas. The closure order, effective from April this year until the end of 2028, aims to control the influx of settlers into the specified area.

“Following the repeal of the Disengagement Law in the Knesset and after completing the necessary procedures, we’ve succeeded in completing this historic move. Jewish presence in Yehudah and Shomron ensures security, and the bill’s implementation will lead to the proper growth of settlements and provide security to the area’s residents,” Gallant said.

“As I’ve done in all my roles in the Israeli government, I will continue to develop settlements in Yehudah and Shomron, strengthen security measures, and ensure the residents’ safety — on the roads and in the settlements themselves.”

“This correction is a historic moment, both morally and security-wise, for the State of Israel, especially after Oct. 7,” Dagan said. “Today, the State of Israel officially corrected the injustice of the disengagement from northern Shomron. I commend Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for this just and valuable decision for the State of Israel and IDF Central Command chief Yehuda Fox, who had the honor to sign this important correction.”

After the repeal of the Disengagement Law was approved, settlers were allowed to stay in Homesh. Residents of Yehudah and Shomron have pressured Gallant to instruct Fox to lift the order, making it legal to stay in the northern Shomron communities.