Palestine: Palestine's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced Thursday that 12 new sites have been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s World Heritage Tentative List. The move raised the total number of Palestinian sites on the Tentative List to 23, the ministry said in a statement.
According to Anadolu Agency, the registrations were made in cooperation with Palestine's permanent delegation to UNESCO to strengthen the international presence of Palestinian heritage and highlight its cultural and natural diversity. Inclusion on the Tentative List precedes the preparation of nomination files for the World Heritage List and helps strengthen efforts to protect and preserve the sites while expanding international cooperation in heritage conservation and management, the ministry said.
The ministry highlighted that this step comes amid an Israeli escalation campaign targeting Palestinian heritage sites. It reaffirmed its commitment to documenting, protecting, and preserving Palestinian cultural heritage for future generations. Palestinian authorities have expressed concerns over archaeological and heritage sites in the occupied West Bank facing continued Israeli escalation, including field measures and expanded administrative control over sites of historical value.
The ministry cited several of the newly listed sites, including Sebastia in the northern occupied West Bank, Solomon's Pools south of Bethlehem, and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. It stated that these sites have seen Israeli measures in recent months aimed at isolating them from their Palestinian surroundings and strengthening control over them. In June, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the transfer of planning and construction powers around the Ibrahimi Mosque from Hebron Municipality to the Israeli administration.
The Palestinian Authority has criticized this move, claiming it violates the 1997 Hebron Agreement, while Smotrich described it as a step towards strengthening Israeli sovereignty in the occupied West Bank. Additionally, the Israeli Knesset is discussing a bill that would grant Israeli authorities broader powers to manage archaeological sites in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinians argue that Israel is escalating not only measures targeting archaeological sites but also attacks against Palestinians, including killings, arrests, displacement, the demolition of homes and facilities, and the destruction of agricultural land. They warn that such actions are being used by Israel to pave the way for the formal annexation of the West Bank, potentially undermining the establishment of a Palestinian state as outlined in relevant UN resolutions.
In historical context, Israel was established in 1948 on lands occupied by armed Zionist groups that committed massacres and displaced at least 750,000 Palestinians. Israel later occupied the rest of the Palestinian territories and continues to refuse to withdraw from them.