A UNESCO site located in the West Bank, Lebanon is an endangered heritage site | Israel-Palestine War News

Sebastia in the West Bank in the West Bank and five Lebanese palaces get the emergency list despite Israel’s refusal.

UNESCO has added the West Bank and Lebanon to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger, despite Israel’s opposition.

The Committee voted on Friday at the UNESCO meeting in Busan, South Korea, to place six sites on the main World Heritage list and the endangered list at the same time, under the emergency procedure, citing the ongoing conflicts in the region.

The site includes a biblical archeology site in the West Bank and five houses to the south Lebanonone of them was recently captured by Israeli forces.

Countries in the UN’s cultural watchdog have approved the lists despite a campaign by Israel’s foreign ministry to have them rejected.

West Bank Area, Sebastianthey live on a hill near Nablus and what historians say is ancient Samaria, the capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel.

Its ruins date back to the Iron Age through Roman, Byzantine and Islamic rule, and Christian and Islamic traditions say that John the Baptist was buried there.

Palestinian officials began seeking the listing in 2012, arguing that the site needed protection while Israeli officials pressed ahead with plans to seize nearly 200 hectares (500 acres) surrounding the zoo.

The project will add a fence, entrance fees and a road restricted to Israeli use, bypassing Palestinian tourist businesses built around the ruins.

In Lebanon, five fortresses in the Mount Amel area were listed, among them Beaufort Castle, an ancient fortress that was captured by Israeli forces in May. in their battle and Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s culture ministry said Israeli bombing had already destroyed one of the five, Shamaa Castle, and threatened Beaufort.

Israel denies this, saying that Hezbollah has turned Beaufort into a military base with tunnels underneath.

The Lebanese delegation rejected the claims, insisting that the palaces have been used for tourism purposes since Israeli forces withdrew from the south in 2000.

The dispute marks a major conflict between Israel and the United Nations, which Israel left in 2019 accusing them of bias and now attends as an observer.

Israel’s foreign minister said the West Bank raid was aimed at erasing “Jewish ties to this country”.

The Palestinian representative praised the residents of Sebastia for protecting the area “despite the occupation, prohibited” and repeated attempts to end their relations.

Earlier this week, the ancient Lebanese city of Tyre it was also added to the endangered list.

Al Jazeera’s investigation compares satellite images from January to June this year he found a deliberate way to clear the ground and demolish the entire town.