UNESCO Adds West Bank Site and Lebanese Castles to World Heritage List Despite Israeli Objections
A UNESCO committee has inscribed the archaeological site of Sebastia in the West Bank and five medieval castles in Lebanon on the World Heritage List, overriding Israeli protests. The decision also places them on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to ongoing conflicts.
A United Nations committee on Friday inscribed a major archaeological site in the West Bank and a group of castles in southern Lebanon on the World Heritage List, despite objections from Israel, which had urged the committee to reject the bids. The decision at a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting in Busan, South Korea, also placed both nominations on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Sebastia, a hilltop town about 10 kilometers northwest of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is identified by scholars as ancient Samaria, capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. The area’s archaeological remains span the Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods. Christian and Islamic tradition holds that John the Baptist was buried there. The nomination, first submitted by the Palestinian delegation to UNESCO in 2012, argued that World Heritage status was needed to help preserve the site, which remains largely undeveloped under Israeli control and requires additional conservation despite attracting tourists.
The five castles in the Mount Amel region are recognized for their layered architectural heritage, combining Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk and local influences, reflecting the evolution of fortified architecture over nearly nine centuries. The designated sites include the Crusader-built Beaufort Castle, also known as Al-Shaqif, which Israeli forces seized in May during their deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than a quarter-century.
Israel, which withdrew from UNESCO in 2019 accusing the organization of bias, condemned the decision. A member of the Israeli delegation, attending as an observer, said it was "a shame politicization has ruined UNESCO and led to mockery of history." Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused the Palestinian delegation of waging a "hostile, one-sided campaign" and claimed that Hezbollah had turned Beaufort Castle into a military stronghold. UNESCO responded that all nominations are evaluated under the same criteria and that it does not take positions on political disputes. A Lebanese delegate denied the allegations, saying the castles have been used only for cultural and tourism purposes since Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
