A United Nations committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, inscribed the West Bank town of Sebastia and a group of five castles in southern Lebanon on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger on Friday, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The emergency designations proceeded despite objections from Israel, which had urged the committee to reject the bids over political concerns and security allegations.
UNESCO Emergency Designations for Sebastia and Lebanese Castles
Members of the UNESCO committee reviewed and approved the nominations on an emergency basis due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Sebastia, a hilltop town located about 10 kilometers northwest of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is identified by scholars as ancient Samaria, the capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. Archaeological remains at the site span the Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods. Christian and Islamic tradition also holds that John the Baptist was buried there, according to a UNESCO website.
The Palestinian delegation first submitted Sebastia’s nomination in 2012. Adel Naim Daoud Atieh, a member of the Palestinian delegation, stated that the designation rewards the perseverance of local residents “who have protected this extraordinary site through generations, despite occupation, restrictions, and repeated attempts to separate them from their own heritage.” The Palestinian nomination argued that World Heritage status was necessary to help preserve the area, noting it remains largely undeveloped under Israeli control and requires additional conservation despite drawing tourists. The designation arrives as Israel moves to expropriate large swaths of land around the site while facing pressure to crack down on settler violence in the Palestinian territory. Israel does not recognize a Palestinian state.
Architectural Heritage and Security Claims in Southern Lebanon
The UNESCO committee also designated five castles in Lebanon’s Mount Amel region, recognizing their layered architectural heritage that combines Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and local influences 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. On Wednesday, the committee additionally placed the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre on the List of World Heritage in Danger following intense Israeli airstrikes in early June during Israel’s war with Hezbollah.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry strongly opposed the nominations ahead of the vote, calling them a “weaponization of cultural heritage” in a statement issued Tuesday. The ministry accused the Palestinian delegation of waging a “hostile, one-sided campaign” to portray Sebastia as an emergency site in a political attempt to “erase the site’s profound, well-documented Jewish and Christian history.” Israel further objected to listing Beaufort Castle, alleging that the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has turned the stronghold into a military base by building tunnels and launching rockets. A Lebanese delegate at Friday’s meeting countered that the castles have been used “only for cultural and tourism purposes” since Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, and accused Israeli media of misrepresenting tourist facilities as military tunnels. The Lebanese Embassy in South Korea declined to comment on the matter.
Diplomatic Fallout and Potential Next Steps
The dispute deepens existing tensions between Israel and the international cultural body. Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2019, accusing the organization of bias and of downplaying its historical ties to the Holy Land. An unnamed member of the Israeli delegation attending the Busan meetings as an observer described the votes as a “shame politicization has ruined UNESCO and led to mockery of history.” In response to Israeli claims regarding the political nature of the votes, UNESCO stated to The Associated Press that all nominations are evaluated under identical criteria, procedures, and technical requirements, and that the organization does not take positions on political disputes.
Following the emergency inscriptions, the designated sites could receive heightened international monitoring and technical assistance aimed at preservation amid regional hostilities. However, analysts and observers note that the disputed security claims around Beaufort Castle and ongoing land expropriations near Sebastia may lead to further diplomatic friction between Israel, Palestinian officials, and Lebanese authorities as conservation efforts attempt to move forward.