The Israeli occupation authorities approved the transfer of lands in the Bethlehem Governorate, with an area of 338 dunums, to the “influence zone” of the “Nahal Helitz” outpost, which was established on lands south of Bethlehem, with the aim of transforming it into a colony that enjoys full privileges provided by the occupying state to encourage and consolidate the colonial settlement project.

This comes within the framework of the occupation state’s efforts to “settle the status” or “legalize” the colonial outpost that was established on the lands of the Bethlehem Governorate, specifically the lands of Beit Jala and Battir under the name “Nahal Helitz”, among the five colonies that the occupation “cabinet” approved last June to “legalize” and transform into colonies, as part of its response to the wave of international recognition of the Palestinian state, as the procedures for this “settlement” began with transforming the lands of Jabal Sabih, south of Nablus, into state lands for the benefit of the “Avitar” outpost.