Israel announces tender for 627 settler units in occupied West Bank

Israel is accused of weaponising archaeology at ancient West Bank sites, including Sebastia in the occupied territory. The Israeli authorities are taking possession of about 450 acres of land, primarily inhabited by Palestinian families, in order to develop the site into a national park. Palestinian landowners typically receive little or no compensation for such expropriation and often refuse it, as they consider it a recognition of the loss of their heritage.

Abu Mudif, a landowner near the Roman columns of Sebastia, expresses deep distress over losing his land, stating that it feels like having his soul ripped away. Nahed Sakha, who owns a local restaurant, fears that the Israeli plan aims to cut Palestinian residents off from the archaeological site, which dates back thousands of years and has remains from the ancient Jewish past, as well as other historical eras.

The United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, has declared Sebastia a World Heritage Site and added it to the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing the planned expropriation and creation of the Samaria national park as the main threat. This park could divide the property and potentially pose problems for cleaning the ruins, as it lies on the border between Area B (under Palestinian control) and Area C (under full Israeli control).

Israel has allocated around 113 million shekels (£27.8m) to expand its control over archaeological sites in the West Bank, including projects in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority. Emek Shaveh, an Israeli group promoting equal heritage, argues that the Israeli authorities have bypassed consultation with local residents and authorities.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, contends that UNESCO's move does not change history, while Israeli activist Alon Arad claims that the bill proposing to transfer control of archaeological sites to the Israeli heritage ministry is a weaponization of archaeology to rewrite history and benefit Israeli control.