SEBASTIA, West Bank – An escalating dispute over the future of ancient archaeological sites in the occupied West Bank pits Palestinians, who say Israel is using heritage preservation as a pretext to expand its hold on land, against Israeli officials, who say they are protecting sites of historical and religious importance.
The dispute is especially acute around Sebastia, an ancient site northwest of Nablus, surrounded by Palestinian farmland and homes.
Generations of Palestinian families have planted olive groves around the ruins. Landowner Abu Mudif said he was told his land was among 450 acres slated for expropriation under an Israeli plan to preserve and develop the archaeological site.
The problem for landowners is more than just lost income. “If I wanted to describe it, the closest description I can give is that it is like having your soul ripped away,” Mudif said. I cannot see myself without my land.
Palestinian residents and activists say the proposed development could restrict their access to land and cut off the village from the archaeological site, which contains remains from several periods of history, including ancient Israelite and Roman, as well as later Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman periods.
Residents were told they would not be able to use or farm some of the land affected by the project, said Nahed Sakha, who owns a restaurant in the area.
The dispute has attracted international attention.
In July 2026, UNESCO inscribed Sebastia on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger through an emergency procedure. UNESCO cited serious threats to the cultural heritage of the site and called for protection.
UNESCO has previously raised concerns about Israeli infrastructure projects and archaeological work in Sebastia. In 2025, the agency stated that archaeological work should be conducted in accordance with international law and with the consent and cooperation of the parties concerned.
The site spans areas of the West Bank with different administrative arrangements under the Oslo Accords. Some of the archaeological area lies in Area C, where Israel exercises civil and security control. Nearby parts of the village sit in Area B, where Palestinian authorities exercise civil powers and Israel maintains security responsibilities.
“People are increasingly worried about being able to maintain and access parts of the ruins,” says Sebastia’s mayor Mohammed Azem.
Palestinian residents and activists said the proposed Israeli development would also change the main entrance to the archaeological site from the village. They fear that the development could reduce the economic benefits that tourism currently provides to local businesses.
Israeli officials and advocates for the development make a different argument. Israel has a duty to protect archaeological sites and preserve evidence of the region’s Jewish and broader historical heritage, they say.
That dispute has become part of a larger political struggle over archaeological control of the West Bank.
The Knesset passed the Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority Bill in its first reading in May 2026. The legislation would create a statutory heritage authority under the Israeli heritage minister and give the Israeli state a more direct role in controlling antiquities and archaeological sites in the West Bank. The bill was referred back to a parliamentary committee for further consideration.
Palestinians and Israeli rights groups have criticised the proposal, saying it could entrench Israeli civilian control over archaeological sites in the occupied territory by shifting authority away from the current military administration. Critics have described the measure as a further entrenchment of Israeli control, while supporters say it is an attempt to preserve historic and biblical heritage, according to Reuters.
A similar dispute is brewing over the Herodium, south of Jerusalem. The archaeological complex, constructed by Herod the Great, holds the remains of his palace and other buildings. There are differing views among Palestinian and Israeli groups on the legal basis and intent of land expropriation related to development near the site.
Israeli group Peace Now, which monitors settlements, said the expropriation in the West Bank must comply with applicable legal requirements and cannot legally be used simply to benefit Israeli settlements or Israeli citizens.
People who want more Israeli input in the management of archaeology say that preservation projects are mostly non- political. They say many sites are vulnerable to damage, neglect and unauthorised construction and need stronger Israeli oversight to protect them.
The controversy has therefore transcended archaeology.
For Sebastia’s Palestinian residents, access to farmland, tourism and their connection to the ruins are all closely tied to their livelihoods and identity. But for many Israelis, the very same archaeological landscape is an important part of Jewish history that they feel needs to be protected.
That dispute has now been internationalised, because of the UNESCO decision. But it has not answered the basic questions: who should control the sites, who should benefit from their development, and how archaeological preservation should be carried out in territory whose political and legal status is still in dispute.
As plans for Sebastia and other West Bank archaeological sites progress, these questions are likely to remain at the centre of the battle over heritage and land.
