Palestine Launches Initiative to Protect West Bank Archaeological Sites

Ramallah (ANTARA) - Palestine has launched an initiative at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to protect archaeological sites in the West Bank from Israeli control. Adel Attieh, Palestine’s permanent delegate to UNESCO, stated that the initiative aims to push UNESCO to take action against what he termed Israeli violations targeting Palestinian cultural heritage, particularly at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, a UNESCO World Heritage site. He accused Israel of attempting to alter the historical narrative by claiming rights over Palestinian archaeological sites. A report from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) claims that Israeli control over Palestinian archaeological sites is part of a policy of settlement expansion and land seizure, citing a Knesset bill passed in mid-May to establish a Heritage Authority in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, there are approximately 7,000 archaeological sites in the West Bank, with about 60 percent located in Area C, which is under full Israeli control under the 1993 Oslo Accords.