West Bank settlement bloc offers to host Beit Shemesh residents after deadly Iran strike

By Sam Sokol 2 March 2026, 11:56 am

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Mourners carry the flag-draped body of Oren Katz, who was killed in an Iranian missile attack, during his funeral in Beit Shemesh, Israel, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

In the wake of Sunday’s deadly Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, residents of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc offer to host local families wishing to leave the city.

In a post on a local Beit Shemesh Facebook group, a spokesman for the Gush Etzion Regional Council writes that the “residents of Gush Etzion are seeking to express deep solidarity and open their homes to Beit Shemesh residents” and that “in cooperation with the regional council and the community center, Gush Etzion residents are inviting families from Beit Shemesh who wish to do so to stay in Gush Etzion communities for several days, in order to enjoy a break, quiet, and renewed strength during this challenging period.”