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| The expropriation of the site near Sebastia is the largest ever seizure of land for an archaeological project since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. Photograph: Jason Burke/The Guardian |
Mon 2 Feb 2026 06.52 EST
The Byzantine-era church lies half hidden in the shade. Roman columns rise from among the olive trees, even older ruins linked to Israelite kings are overgrown. To the west, the Mediterranean is just visible on the horizon. To the north and south are the hills of the occupied West Bank.
In the small town of Sebastia, a hundred metres or less east of the ruins, everyone is very worried.
In November, Mahmud Azem, the mayor of Sebastia, received a notice from Israeli authorities announcing the seizure of the whole of the sprawling hilltop archaeological site next to the town.
Though there have been reports of an Israeli government project to develop the site for several years, the notice came as a shock. Most of the 3,500 Palestinian residents depend on either tourism at the site or their olive trees for their livelihoods.
The current plans for development of the site involve a visitors’ centre, a car park, and a fence that will separate the ruins from the rest of the town, cutting residents off from the ruins and any olive orchards that survive.
“Unfortunately Sebastia has gone into a dark tunnel,” said Azem, 50. “It is an aggression against Palestinian landowners, against olive trees, against tourist sites and it is a violation of the history and the heritage of Palestine.”
The expropriation of 182 hectares (450 acres) at Sebastia is the largest ever seizure of land for an archaeological project since Israel occupied the West Bank after its victory against Syria, Egypt and their Arab allies in 1967... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/02/palestinian-uproar-israel-plan-seize-historic-site-sebastia-west-bank?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other