Israeli peace group Peace Now has strongly criticized the establishment of a new settlement in the southern West Bank, announced by the Gush Etzion regional council near Bethlehem. The council confirmed that three mobile homes have already been set up, with families expected to move in soon. Peace Now accused the new outpost of aiming to restrict the growth of the nearby Palestinian town of Beit Sahour and undermining prospects for peace. The move comes amid recent tensions and violent incidents in the region, following the dismantling of another settler outpost by Israeli authorities. International law considers all settlements in the West Bank illegal, and the area is home to hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers and millions of Palestinians.