Interior Ministry advances new city plan in Samaria near Route 5
Official settlement status granted to 'Shira' and three other communities
According to the report, a new city spanning roughly 9,500 dunams adjacent to Route 5 is being advanced, envisioned to eventually include tens of thousands of housing units. The Interior Ministry granted official settlement status to 'Shira' and three additional communities in Samaria and Gush Etzion, a bureaucratic step required before further planning progress. This marks an early stage in a lengthy process that will later involve detailed plan approvals and infrastructure development. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the initiative as addressing housing needs and strengthening territorial continuity east of the center.
What this means for land buyers
Granting settlement status is an early formal step and does not guarantee timelines or final construction scope. For those examining land in the area, it signals a future development direction worth monitoring through subsequent detailed plans and tenders.
Further reading
ישראל היום — Read at source ↗ · September 3, 2026
Automated update · reviewed by the Moledet desk