Besieging Bethlehem: Latest Israeli Settlement Developments in Bethlehem

Bethlehem, located 10 kilometers to the south of Jerusalem, has been one of the most hard-hit Palestinian governorates by Israeli colonial-settlement policies. Being surrounded by 18 illegal colonial settlements, the iconic Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and home to an important number of religious, archeological and cultural sites, has been separated from its twin city of Jerusalem by the construction of three illegal settlements between both occupied cities (Gilo, Giv’at Hamatos and Har Homa), in addition to the illegal Annexation Wall. Today, the Israeli occupation advances plans in order to further fragment the hinterland of the city by separating it from its western villages as well as from Hebron to the south. This brief describes the latest Israeli colonial-settlement steps in the Bethlehem Area.