Paris - Saba:
UNESCO called on the Israeli occupation authorities to refrain from any actions that could harm the archaeological site in the town of Sebastia, affirming the collective responsibility to protect the site's exceptional historical and cultural values for present and future generations.
After being informed of the ongoing construction and development projects, as well as the archaeological activities carried out by the Israeli Ministry of Heritage at the site, UNESCO affirmed that all such work must comply with international law and be carried out with the consent and cooperation of all parties concerned, in accordance with the 1956 Recommendation on International Principles Relating to Archaeological Excavations and the principles of relevant UNESCO conventions.
Sebastia, which has been on the tentative list of the State of Palestine since 2012, is considered a site of deep-rooted cultural significance, reflecting the succession of Civilizations on the land of Palestine, and it is considered one of the cultural sites protected by a number of international legal instruments, most notably: the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, its Second Protocol of 1999, and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.