Also know as the "Etzion bloc." Gush Etzion refers to an area of Jewish Israeli settlements in the southern West Bank, located on the western and southern sides of the Palestinian city of Bethlehem. As of 2009, the area included over 20 settlements and over 555,000 settlers. See also Gush Etzion Capture in 1948.  http://www.justvision.org/glossary/gush-etzion