Yaron Rosenthal, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council and Israeli settler, stated from the new settlement outpost of Yatziv that 'The return home will only happen when we return to the city of Bethlehem,' signaling intent to claim the city. The statement occurred between 5:15 PM and 8:15 PM UTC on February 18, 2026, according to a report by Ihab Hassane on X. Rosenthal spoke from Yatziv, described in the report as an illegal settlement outpost built on land belonging to Palestinian Christians from Beit Sahour. He emphasized that the goal involves not only expansion but a specific claim over Bethlehem itself, as quoted in the X post. The source attributes the outpost's location to stolen land owned by Palestinian Christians and warns that Christian leaders worldwide should note the pressure on one of the oldest Christian communities facing potential disappearance due to Israeli settler policies and government actions.
