Bethlehem, West Bank / PNN/
Israeli authorities have taken a new step toward formalizing the settlement outpost known as “Yitzev” east of the Palestinian city of Beit Sahour by designating approximately 116 dunums of land as part of the outpost’s area of jurisdiction, according to the Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ).
ARIJ said the move follows a military order issued on March 5, 2026, and signed by the commander of Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth. The order establishes an official jurisdictional area for the recently established settlement outpost, which settlers set up in the former Ush Ghrab military site east of Beit Sahour.
According to the institute, the order was issued under Israeli Military Order No. 783 of 1979 concerning the administration of regional councils in what Israel refers to as Judea and Samaria. The regulations designate the area outlined on an accompanying map as the jurisdictional boundary of the Yitzev settlement and place it under the authority of the Gush Etzion Regional Council.
An analysis of the maps attached to the military order indicates that Israeli authorities intend to allocate approximately 116.3 dunums of Palestinian land to the outpost. The designated area includes the former military compound, surrounding lands to its southwest, and part of a public park belonging to the municipality of Beit Sahour, ARIJ said.
The move comes roughly four months after settlers established a foothold at the site. According to ARIJ, settlers entered the former Ush Ghrab military base in November 2025, leveled sections of land, and installed mobile homes as part of efforts to create a new settlement presence in the area.
The institute said that on Nov. 20, 2025, Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal announced the establishment of a new settlement community called “Shdema” on land adjacent to Palestinian residential neighborhoods in Beit Sahour. Bulldozers reportedly prepared the site overnight, and several mobile homes were placed there by the following morning.
ARIJ estimates that around 13 settler families currently reside in the outpost.
The institute also reported an increase in restrictions affecting Palestinian landowners near the site, with residents alleging that they have been prevented from accessing nearby agricultural lands on the grounds that the areas now fall within the settlement’s jurisdiction.
According to ARIJ, the designation of a formal jurisdictional area represents a significant step in transforming the outpost from an informal settlement site into a settlement entity integrated into Israel’s administrative and planning system in the occupied West Bank.
The institute noted that Military Order No. 783, issued in 1979, serves as the legal framework for the establishment and management of Israeli regional councils overseeing settlements in the occupied territory. The order enables Israeli authorities to define and expand settlement jurisdictional boundaries and incorporate additional land into settlement administrative structures.
ARIJ said such measures facilitate the provision of infrastructure, public services and planning authority to settlement communities while extending their control over surrounding areas.
The institute argued that the latest order reflects continued Israeli support for settlement expansion through administrative and military mechanisms that, it said, enable the appropriation of Palestinian land and the consolidation of settlement presence across the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli government considers settlements and regional councils part of its administrative framework in the territory, while Palestinians and much of the international community view settlement expansion as a violation of international law and an obstacle to a negotiated two-state solution.
