Palestinian FM Urges UNESCO to Stop Zionist Theft of Archaeological Sites in West Bank
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has called on UNESCO to assume its responsibilities in protecting Palestinian archaeological and historical sites from the dangers of Judaization and annexation. This came in response to the latest move by the Zionist occupation authorities, who announced the classification of 63 archaeological sites in the occupied West Bank as so-called “Israeli heritage sites.”
In a statement, the Ministry condemned this step as a flagrant violation of international law, the Geneva Conventions, and signed agreements. It stressed that the Zionist decision is part of a broader colonial plan aimed at seizing more than 2,400 sites across the West Bank, in an attempt to erase Palestinian identity, alter the land’s geography and demographics, and impose new faits accomplis by force of occupation. The Ministry described the move as an unprecedented act of piracy and land theft, built on fabricated narratives and false historical claims that constitute a direct assault on Palestinian civilization.
The Ministry further warned that this campaign represents a dangerous form of settler colonialism, this time targeting Palestinian cultural and archaeological heritage. It urged the international community to take immediate action to expose and confront the Zionist narrative that seeks to entrench illegal settler presence in Palestinian cities and towns. The statement concluded by reaffirming that these colonial measures undermine the prospects of establishing an independent Palestinian state, stressing that urgent international recognition of Palestine is essential to preserving the two-state solution and protecting Palestinian heritage from erasure.
