Har Gilo

Har Gilo (, lit. Mount Gilo) is an Israeli settlement and communal village located about five kilometers south of Jerusalem, and two kilometers west of Bethlehem in the northern Judean hills of the West Bank.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

History

Due to Har Gilo's strategic location, Turkish, British and Jordanian armies all had bases there. An Israel Defense Force base was established after the Six-Day War in June 1967. The civilian settlement of Har Gilo was established on Hanukkah 1968. It is considered part of Gush Etzion. In 2007, Har Gilo had a population of 462.According to Peace Now, Har Gilo breaks the territorial contiguity of a Palestinian state and its close proximity to Al Walaja and Beit Jala will make it difficult to include within Israel's final boundaries. Har Gilo residents point out that the settlement is within the Israeli West Bank barrier, which lies just outside the settlement.

Status under international law

Like all Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories, Har Gilo is considered illegal under international law, though Israeli disputes this. The international community considers Israeli settlements to violate the Fourth Geneva Convention's prohibition on the transfer of an...
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