A UN committee voted on Friday to list a major archaeological site in the occupied West Bank and a set of castles in southern Lebanon as World Heritage sites, brushing aside objections from Israel, which had lobbied the committee to reject both bids.
The decision, made at a UNESCO meeting in Busan, South Korea, came just days after Israel’s foreign ministry attempted to pressure committee members into blocking recognition for the Palestinian town of Sebastia in the occupied West Bank and the Lebanese castles in Mount Amel.
Illegal Israeli settlers continue to forcibly displace Palestinians from parts of the occupied West Bank, in a decades-long campaign of land theft. Friday’s UN recognition marks a significant win for Palestinians, who have inhabited the region for centuries despite relentless efforts to uproot them.
Palestinian authorities have sought UNESCO recognition for Sebastia for over a decade, arguing that international protection is essential to preserve the site, which remains neglected under Israeli occupation.
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The designation comes even as Israel presses ahead with plans to confiscate large swaths of land surrounding the site, all while facing mounting international pressure to rein in escalating illegal settler violence against Palestinians in the territory. Palestinian officials say Israeli authorities continue seizing land around Sebastia, further threatening the site’s integrity and the communities that depend on it.
UNESCO placed Sebastia and five castles in Lebanon’s Mount Amel area on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, fast-tracking the nominations on an emergency basis due to the immediate threat posed by ongoing Israeli aggression across the region.
The five castles in southern Lebanon are recognised for their richly layered architectural heritage, blending Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk and local influences that reflect nearly nine centuries of fortified architecture — heritage now placed at risk amid repeated Israeli strikes and military aggression across southern Lebanon.
