Israeli officials celebrate new West Bank settlement amid rising Bedouin displacements
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised the inauguration of the Metzoke Eretz settlement on a West Bank hilltop, while Bedouin families report forced relocations and harsh living conditions nearby.
During a gathering on an occupied West Bank hill, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailed the opening of the Metzoke Eretz settlement, calling the settlers "heroes" of Zionist expansion. The settlement grew out of the former outpost Netzah Harel, which was built on privately owned Palestinian land in the Bedouin village of al-Muarrajat. Bedouin residents, including Alia Mleihat now living in a tent, describe repeated attacks, confiscation of livestock and forced moves, while Jamal Mleihat lives in a concrete block house with his family under constant threat.
UN OCHA counts at least 130 Palestinian communities displaced and over 6,400 individuals uprooted since January 2023, with settler attacks rising sharply after October 7, 2023. NGOs link the expansion to policies promoted by Smotrich, noting a systematic pattern of land seizure, demolition and intimidation that leaves displaced families without basic services.
Why it matters
The story shows how settlement expansion is linked to large-scale displacement of Palestinian Bedouins in the West Bank.
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