{"id":2104,"date":"2025-11-19T19:06:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T19:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emekshaveh.org\/en\/?p=2104"},"modified":"2025-11-19T19:07:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T19:07:29","slug":"expropriatations-sebastia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emekshaveh.org\/en\/expropriatations-sebastia\/","title":{"rendered":"Urgent update: ICA moves to expropriate entire Sebastia acropolis in a major step toward\u00a0annexation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) issued an expropriation notice for the entire acropolis of Sebastia and surrounding area, in a grave development that represents annexation of one of the region\u2019s most important heritage sites.<\/b><\/p>\n

Download as a PDF<\/a><\/p>\n

Today (November 19th, 2025) the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA)\u00a0<\/span>published an expropriation order issued last week (November 12th, 2025)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for the heritage site of Sebastia and the surrounding area which includes plots of land belonging both to residents of Sebastia and the neighbouring town of Burqa. This development would make Sebastia the fifth antiquities site in the West Bank\u00a0to be\u00a0expropriate\u00a0since Israel\u00a0occupied the West Bank\u00a0in 1967. The expropriation will include approximately 550 privately owned agricultural plots used mainly for the local olive industry. The pretext for the expropriation: \u201cThe preservation and development of the site as a visitor-accessible site for the general public.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Sebastia is one of the most significant ancient cities in the region and a site included, since 2012, on UNESCO\u2019s tentative list of World Heritage Sites for the State of Palestine (the tentative list consists of sites which are candidates for inscription to the list of World Heritage Sites). The intention is clear \u2013 to sever the ancient site of Sebastia from the Palestinian historic town of Sebastia, connect the site to Road 60 and turn the site into a settler-led tourist attraction (similar to the City of David in Silwan, East Jerusalem).\u00a0<\/span>This development follows government decision 491 (May 2023)<\/span><\/a>, which\u00a0<\/span>allocates<\/span><\/a> 32 million NIS to develop what Israeli authorities call the \u201cShomron (Samaria) National Park\u201d in a plan that entails massive development of the site, including a visitors\u2019 centre, a parking lot, and a fence which will separate the acropolis from the rest of the town.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Notification of intention to expropriate land for the purpose of \u201cpreservation and development of the site\u201d as it appeared today in Hebrew on the Civil Administration\u2019s website.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Map of site of Sebastia (areas C and B)<\/p><\/div>\n

This expropriation order follows a smaller\u00a0<\/span>military issued order to seize land at the summit of the ancient site of Sebastia<\/span><\/a>\u00a0announced last July 2024. Emek Shaveh and the municipality of Sebastia submitted an objection to the seizure of 1.3 dunam but both were rejected by the ICA. The latest expropriation follows the commencement of\u00a0excavations by the Staff Officer for Archaeology (SOA)\u00a0<\/span>in May<\/span><\/a>\u00a02025<\/span><\/p>\n

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Map of expropriations with plot numbers. Line in pink designates Road 60. The archaeological site is only a fraction of the total expropriated area. Source: COGAT\u2019s GIS.<\/p><\/div>\n

The decision will finalise the process of severing the site from the town, ending hundreds of years of cultural continuity bonding the people of Sebastia with\u00a0the main archaeological site, putting an end to Palestinian-led tourism to the site which is the main source of revenue for the town, the local olive oil industry, and likely imposing a permanent military presence.\u00a0<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Emek Shaveh\u2019s statement in short:<\/b>
\n<\/span>Israel is taking weaponisation of archaeology to new heights. In this cynical move Israel is flagrantly violating international law, turning archaeology into a tool for settlement and annexation while depriving the Palestinian residents of Sebastia and Burqa of their land and cultural heritage.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Background<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Sebastia consists of a multilayered archaeological mound (acropolis) which spans millennia and a historic town situated in the northern West Bank near Nablus. <\/span><\/p>\n

Excavations since the early 20th century have revealed a continuum of diverse cultures and peoples. The site has been associated with the Iron Age Shomron\/Samaria capital of the Israelite Kingdom, a Roman city built by Herod and named after Augustus (Sebaste), and\u00a0sites associated with St\u00a0John the Baptist\u00a0including a Byzantine church and a\u00a0Crusader period\u00a0Cathedral subsequently turned into\u00a0a mosque dedicated to the Prophet Yahiya (John the Baptist).<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The acropolis (Area C) and the town (Area B) have always formed a single cultural and historical landscape. The site is the primary cultural and economic anchor of the town. For decades, local families have earned livelihoods through tourism, hospitality, conservation work, and cultural programming. Local Palestinian heritage groups, the Municipality of Sebastia, al-Quds University, ATS Pro Terra Sancta, the Mosaic Centre, and international partners have carried out community-led conservation. These initiatives strengthened local identity, created jobs, and demonstrated how shared heritage can be a foundation for inclusive development and community resilience.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Since the Oslo accords, but particularly in the past six years, repeated Israeli interventions have aimed to disconnect the acropolis from the living town, limiting Palestinian access, undermining local conservation efforts, and advancing a narrative that privileges historical periods associated with a biblical past at the expense of others. This was given impetus by a campaign which first emerged in 2019 whereby settler organisations – with the backing of senior government officials – have accused the Palestinians of destroying antiquities while\u00a0simultaneously promoting\u00a0plans to develop heritage sites in the West Bank as settler-run tourist attractions. Associated with the ancient northern Israelite city of Samaria (Shomron), Sebastia is the flagship of this plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the Oslo accords, but particularly in the past six years, repeated Israeli interventions have aimed to disconnect the acropolis from the living town, limiting Palestinian access, undermining local conservation efforts, and advancing a narrative that privileges historical periods associated with a biblical past at the expense of others. This was given impetus by a campaign which first emerged in 2019 whereby settler organisations – with the backing of senior government officials – have accused the Palestinians of destroying antiquities and promoted plans to develop heritage sites in the West Bank as settler-run tourist attractions. Associated with the ancient northern Israelite city of Samaria (Shomron), Sebastia is the flagship of this programme.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Main archaeological remains at Sebastia (acropolis and town)<\/p><\/div>\n

The new confiscation notice covers the entire acropolis, including all open archaeological areas, historic remains, and access routes. It follows a series of measures taken by the current government aimed at changing the cultural landscape of the West bank (listed in a chronological order):<\/span><\/p>\n