Israel Seizes 500 Acres at Sebastia as Palestinians Push UNESCO World Heritage Bid
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 21
Israel Seizes 500 Acres at Sebastia as Palestinians Push UNESCO World Heritage Bid
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 21
Summary
$10 million in Israeli funding and roughly 500 acres of land seizures have turned Sebastia into a new West Bank flashpoint, with Palestinians warning they could lose access to the archaeological site and surrounding farmland.
The clash centers on a site claimed as ancient Samaria and layered with Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Crusader remains, while its mound sits in Israeli-controlled Area C and the adjacent town in jointly administered Area B.
Since 2023, Netanyahu's government has directed more than 250 million shekels, about $82 million, to West Bank archaeology through a program focused on sites with Jewish historical significance.
The Palestinian Authority is seeking to move Sebastia from UNESCO's tentative list, where it has been since 2012, to full World Heritage status at a meeting in South Korea this month.
Israeli ministers cast the drive as protecting Jewish heritage, but watchdogs and local residents say archaeology is being used to deepen territorial control and threaten Sebastia's tourism-based economy.