Palestine Lists 14 Sites for Potential UNESCO World Heritage Designation

Palestinian Authority Submits Cultural and Natural Sites for UNESCO World Heritage List

The Palestinian Authority has submitted 14 new cultural and natural sites to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage tentative list. The submission aims to grant international recognition to endangered landmarks across the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

According to Marwa Adwan, acting director-general of World Heritage at the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism, the move is part of a national priority to protect Palestinian cultural heritage from Israeli attacks and appropriation. The list includes prehistoric caves, religious routes, and modern architecture spanning a vast timeline from 3,000 BC to Gaza’s Old City.

The submission brings the total number of Palestinian sites on the tentative list to 24. The sites include the Great Omari Mosque, built nearly 1,400 years ago, and the Church of Saint Porphyrius, both targeted during Israeli bombardment.

The Palestinian Authority has stated that the move is a strategic step for the “day after” the war. Listing these sites on the UNESCO list is intended to provide international recognition of their global value and urgent need for protection.

In response, the Israeli government has expressed opposition to the submission, with Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu labeling it as “archaeological terrorism”. The move has been met with criticism from Palestinian officials, who argue that heritage is not a weapon but a bridge between cultures.

Source: Al Jazeera