Palestine on Monday called on the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, to intervene to halt an Israeli settlement project in the Sebastia archeological site in the occupied West Bank. “We call on the UNESCO agency to prevent the (Israeli) occupation authorities from establishing a settlement project near the Sebastia village (north of Nablus city),” Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said during a cabinet meeting. He warned that the Israeli settlement project will cause heavy damage to the historical site near the village. Sebastia Mayor Mohammad Azem said the Israeli project aims to turn the archeological site into a park. ‘The project includes building a road, carrying out digging works and establishing electricity networks that will totally change the historical character of the area,’ he told Anadolu. Sebastia site is an ancient and historic site that dates back to the Hellenistic and Roman eras. According to Haaretz newspaper, the Israeli government approved a proposal to invest 29 million Israeli shekels ($8 million) to develop the Sebastia site to allow more settlers to reach the area and to decrease Palestinians access there. *Writing by Ahmed Asmar
Source: Anadolu Agency