Israel Incensed as UNESCO Adds Lebanese and West Bank Sites to World Heritage List
UNESCO added the Mount Amel Castles in Lebanon and the archaeological ruins of Sebastia in the Occupied West Bank to its World Heritage List and simultaneously placed them on the List of World Heritage in Danger during the World Heritage Committee’s 48th session in Busan, South Korea. The two locations were among six new sites urgently recognized as vulnerable upon inscription, according to Hyperallergic. Israel condemned the designations, accusing UNESCO of “cynical exploitation of cultural heritage for political purposes.” The report situates the decision amid Israel’s land seizures and ongoing military offensives.
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This story was covered in Strikes, Seizures, and the Art World Under Siege