Is Gush Etzion safe?

The Gush Etzion Junction is a roundabout where Israelis and Palestinians constantly cross paths. And recently it has become one of the most dangerous places in the West Bank. There have been a dozen deadly incidents since October.

Is Gush Etzion a settlement?

Gush Etzion (Hebrew: גּוּשׁ עֶצְיוֹן‎, lit. Etzion Bloc) is a cluster of Israeli settlements located in the Judaean Mountains, directly south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank. These settlements were rebuilt after the 1967 Six-Day War, along with new communities that have expanded the area of the Etzion Bloc.

What does Etzion mean?

Etzion (Hebrew: עציון‎, lit. of the tree), also spelled Ezion, can refer to several places and topics relating to modern, ancient Israel and the West Bank: Ezion-Geber, a biblical Idumaean and Israelite port on the Red Sea. Kfar Etzion, a kibbutz established in the early 20th century south of Jerusalem.

Is Efrat in Israel?

Efrat (Hebrew: אפרת) [1] is an Israeli community in the bloc of Gush Etzion, located in Judea, Israel.

Where is the entrance to the Gush Etzion bloc?

The entrance to the Gush Etzion bloc is the Gush Etzion Junction, which is located just west of the intersection of Route 60 and Route 367. The junction is located between Efrat and Alon Shvut and very close to Migdal Oz.

How many people live in Gush Etzion Israel?

The area was left outside of Israel with the 1949 armistice lines. These settlements were rebuilt after the 1967 Six-Day War, along with new communities that have expanded the area of the Etzion Bloc. As of 2011 , Gush Etzion consisted of 22 settlements with a population of 70,000.

What was the result of the fall of Gush Etzion?

Jewish prisoners in Jordan, after the fall of Gush Etzion, May 1948. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations approved the Partition Plan. The bloc fell within the area allotted to a proposed Arab state. The Haganah command decided not to leave the bloc.

Where did the name Gush Etzion come from?

The kibbutz established there in 1935 was named Kfar Etzion, in his honor (the German word Holz means “wood”, which is etz עץ in Hebrew). The 1936–1939 Arab revolt made life intolerable for the residents, who returned to Jerusalem in 1937.