Will UNESCO’s heritage listing halt Israeli plans for West Bank’s Sebastia?

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has designated Sebastia, an ancient site in the occupied West Bank, as both a World Heritage location and a site in danger, a decision Palestinian officials welcome as a potential barrier to Israeli territorial expansion. Nizar Kayed, deputy mayor of Sebastia, expressed hope that the designation would preserve the ancient city, noting the decision came after Israeli occupation authorities issued a confiscation order that threatens the area's cultural and historical character while undermining residents' livelihoods through settlement expansion.

The archaeological site, surrounded by olive groves, contains Roman columns, ancient walls, stone steps, and an amphitheatre. Residents of the nearby Palestinian village of Sebastia, which shares the site's name, depend substantially on tourism revenue. They now face land confiscations following an Israeli announcement to seize approximately 180 hectares at and around the archaeological site, justified as necessary for "preservation and development."

Palestinian officials have also raised concerns about a proposed Israeli bill that would expand Israeli control over West Bank archaeological sites, effectively removing Palestinian Authority oversight in areas under its administrative authority according to the Oslo peace agreements of the 1990s. Sebastia ranks among the West Bank's most significant archaeological sites, with origins extending more than 3,000 years into antiquity. Scholars believe it represents Samaria, the ancient Kingdom of Israel's capital.

The city achieved prominence during the Roman period when Herod the Great reconstructed and expanded it extensively, renaming it Sebaste to honor Emperor Augustus. The rebuilt city featured a temple, stadium, colonnaded street, and other monumental structures characteristic of Roman urban planning. The site also preserves remains from Hellenistic and Byzantine periods and holds religious significance for Christians and Muslims due to its association with the tomb of Prophet Yahya, known as John the Baptist in Christian tradition.

Antiquities discovered at Sebastia, including city walls, royal palace remains, an ivory collection, and substantial Roman structures, document successive civilizations spanning Canaanite, Israelite, Assyrian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Crusader, and Ottoman periods. Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani al-Hayek confirmed the World Heritage Committee's Friday approval of the Palestinian nomination.