UNESCO places occupied West Bank, Lebanon sites on endangered heritage list

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP and The Associated Press, reported that UNESCO has placed Sebastia in the occupied West Bank and five castles in southern Lebanon on both its World Heritage List and its list of endangered sites. The decision was made Friday during a UNESCO committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, using an emergency process linked to damage and risks from ongoing regional conflicts. Israel objected to the move and had urged member states to reject the listings.

Sebastia, near Nablus, is an archaeological site associated with ancient Samaria and contains remains from multiple historical periods, including Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic eras. The report says Palestinian officials had pursued UNESCO protection since 2012, arguing the site was threatened by Israeli plans to take about 200 hectares of surrounding land for a national park project that would include fencing, fees and an access road bypassing Palestinian tourism businesses.

In Lebanon, the listed sites are five fortresses in the Mount Amel region, including Beaufort Castle. Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces seized Beaufort in May during the war with Hezbollah. Lebanon’s culture ministry said bombardment had destroyed Shamaa Castle and endangered Beaufort, while Israel disputed the account and alleged Hezbollah used Beaufort for military purposes. A Lebanese delegate denied that, saying the castles had been used only for tourism since Israel’s 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The decision highlights continuing tensions between Israel and UNESCO; Israel left the agency in 2019 after accusing it of bias and now participates as an observer. The report also noted that Tyre in Lebanon was added to the endangered list earlier in the week.