Asa'el (), also known as Mitzpe Asa'el ( he, מצפה עשהאל, , Asa'el Lookout), is an

Israeli settlement Israeli settlements, or Israeli colonies, are civilian communities inhabited by Israeli citizens, overwhelmingly of Jewish ethnicity, built on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The international community considers Israeli se ...

in the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. Located three kilometres south-east of Shim'a, it falls under the jurisdiction of Har Hevron Regional Council. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank, like Asa'el, illegal under

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

, but the Israeli government disputes this. Although built on what the Israeli government claims to be state lands, access roads to the settlement goes over private land owned by Palestinians.

History

The settlement was established in early 2002 as a outpost, and was named after Biblical Asahel from the time of King

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

(). In 2008 it was announced that the Yesha Council was making preparations to evacuate the outpost, but the evacuation did not take place. The outpost continued to grow, with 60 new constructions registered between 2010 and 2020, and 12 new constructions in 2021. The outpost was officially recognized by the Israeli government in September 2023.

References

External links

Asa'el

Peace Now Peace Now ( he, שלום עכשיו ''Shalom Achshav'', ) is a non-governmental organization, liberal advocacy and activist group in Israel with the aim of promoting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Objectives/position ...

{{Har Hevron Regional Council Israeli settlements in the West Bank Populated places established in 2002 2002 establishments in the Palestinian territories Israeli outposts